Code LYOKO: Reloaded (Book 1)
by SanguinaireEncantrix
Summary: High school at Kadic Academy isn't exactly the most exciting thing without Xana or Lyoko around to keep the six Lyoko Warriors on their toes, but turning the Super Computer off was just running away from the problem. Aelita's been regretting leaving her mother in Tyron's hands and not searching for her father after his sacrifice, so it's time to alleviate those regrets. (Season 6)
1. Episode 122: Deception

_**A/N: **__Welcome to Code Lyoko: Reloaded! This fanfiction draws heavily on "REAL Code Lyoko Season 5" by James the Lesser (and, of course, permission has been acquired before the uploading of even this first chapter), but you'll find that later on things get quite mixed up. So read, review and revel in the continued tale of our heroes, the Lyoko Warriors!_

The pink-haired girl known as Aelita Hopper tossed and turned in her bed. She kept seeing the moment her father died playing over and over again in her dreams. She had tried to, had wanted to save him. But Jeremie had simply yelled at her to help him destroy Xana. She could have saved her father, but didn't and felt horrible because of it. Then, when the Super Computer was reactivated, she not only learned her mother was alive and her location, but learned her father might be alive as well. But Jeremie, Ulrich, Odd, Yumi and William had all insisted they turn the Super Computer off while the Cortex was destroyed and Xana was bound to Lyoko. "Daddy!" Aelita woke up, covered in sweat. Frantically, she rolled over and plucked Mister Puck from her nightstand, cuddling him against her chest and trying to forget the nightmares.

She would not find any more sleep that night.

However, that morning held new events. Aelita stumbled into the ladies' room and took a quick shower. As Aelita exited the girls' room, pulling her denim jacket around her shoulders, she noticed Sissi, still with her blonde hair, adjusting her pink blouse and heart hairclip. "Hi, Sissi." Aelita waved and Sissi waved back.

"Another nightmare?" The principal's daughter wore an expression of concern on her dolled-up face.

"Um, yeah...sorry for waking you up." Aelita's face flushed, remembering a time when Sissi was far less considerate and thought it better to insult her.

"What are they about? You seem to have them a lot." Sissi quietly inquired, brushing aside a bleached-blonde lock of stray hair as the duet slowly walked together to the cafeteria.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Aelita bit her lip, then split off from Sissi upon sight of her other friends.

"Yeah, my parents are checking me out of school for a few days to go on a week-long trip to Japan in four or five months. I'll miss you guys but I'm really happy to visit Japan for a week." Yumi said to Ulrich and Willaim as Aelita came over. Yumi was wearing her old black sweater, William wore his brown jacket and black shirt with red lettering, and Ulrich wore his camo-green jacket and jeans.

"My news is just as good," Odd boasted, "I talked to my sisters, and a certain diggety dog is coming back to Kadic!"

"I thought you said you had good news." Aelita joked as she leaned on the table.

"Morning, Aelita." Jeremie pulled out the chair next to him and picked a crumb off of his blue turtleneck. "I was wondering if after school we could go and see this new store." The young genius's voice floated out from his backpack as he rummaged through his belongings. A moment later he pulled out a crumpled, stained flyer for a technology store a half-mile away from the Academy. "I've been looking for some upgrades. After being so used to the Super Computer it's hard to get used to something so slow."He let out a forced laugh.

"Um, sure." Aelita laughed in an equally forced tone.

"Einstein, are you ever going to ask her out on a real date?" Odd blurted, leaning on an elbow and waving a fork with a chunk of biscuit on the end. Jeremie and Aelita blushed as Ulrich choked a little on his eggs, which forcibly suppressed his laugh. Yumi and William, on the other hand, were able to freely cackle at the two's embarrassment.

"That...doesn't have anything to do with me wanting to go to the store." Jeremie gained his composure and continued eating breakfast as Aelita next to him flushed once more.

-( ( • ) ) -

In Ms. Hertz's science class, the many uses of the Pythagorean Theorem were being related to the students.

"Most people assume that it has no use outside of triangles, but that is not so. The Pythagorean Theorem can be used with any shape and for any formula that squares a number. We can multiply the Pythagorean Theorem by our area factor and come up with a relationship for any shape." Ms. Hertz stated, rapping a ruler against the board to draw attention to her primitive chalk diagrams.

Aelita couldn't help but stare at the clock and watch the minutes tick by, trying to avoid thinking of her nightmares and yet mentally returning to them every time she wandered from them.

-( ( • ) ) -

At last, the bell rang. Aelita and Jeremie quickly weaved through the crowd, outside and to the mall to check out the new store.

"Jeremie, before we, um...go anywhere..." Aelita stopped.

"What is it?" Jeremie stopped as well and turned around, more concerned about wasting time than Aelita's worry.

"About the Super Computer..." Aelita stared at the ground and made a ring in the dirt with her left foot.

"Yes?" Jeremie coaxed impatiently.

"What if we turned it back on?" Aelita's eyes shifted upward from the ground, but her head was still tilted. Jeremie gaped, taken aback.

"Why, Aelita? We did it. We beat Xana! We don't need to turn it back on ever again." He waved his hands and leaned towards her.

"But my father, he might still be alive! If we looked for him, we might find him, and be able to save him, and he could help us find my mom!" She stared hopefully at the boy in front of her.

"He...I'm sorry Aelita, but he died. We can't bring him back."

"You brought me back when you damaged my Annex program and I still deactivated that Tower!" Aelita turned away and held her head in one hand.

"I had your hair and you weren't um...gone, like he is. You were just decompiled in a really messy way. He was devirtualized without a body to go back to Earth in. It would be like if you'd been devirtualized before you had your memories. Aelita, I know you miss him but-" Aelita spun around on one foot as Jeremie droned.

"I can't miss him because I never got to be with him!" Aelita stormed off, but not to Kadic. Instead she stomped down the sidewalk.

_I need to follow her and make up...but I really want to see what they have at that store, and she'll get over herself anyway. _He shrugged, turned around and went to the mall to shop at all the computer-related stores there.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita meandered down the sidewalk, holding back tears. She heard a clap of thunder in the distance, and lifted her head. She was at the riverfront, and with a few more steps she'd be at the bridge leading to the Factory.

"I...if he won't help me, I'll do it on my own." Aelita raced across the bridge and into the Factory. A race she never thought she'd run again.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie left the mall with two bags of computer parts. "May not be as good as the Super Computer but it will do for now. I can't believe a quad-core 4.5 GHz processor was only about three hundred euros, and an NVidia graphics card was only a hundred fifty!" Jeremie gloated about his bargain-hunting skills to the air around him as he strolled carelessly back to Kadic Academy.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita, before she knew it, was in the Super Computer Room with her hand on the power switch.

_If...if Daddy's gone then I won't find him, but at least I tried. _Aelita turned away as she flipped the switch, and the Super Computer radiated brilliant light as it roared to life. She could feel a chill in the air, but was too desperate to find her father to pay it any mind. It was cold in the Super Computer room when the gang had returned last time to turn it back on too. It wouldn't matter. She was going to at least try and find Franz Hopper.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie got back to Kadic Academy before too long. He practically flew up the stairs to the boys' dorms, dropped his parts off, and flew up the stairs again to the girl's floor to visit Aelita.

"Aelita?" He knocked on the door.

"She's not there." A girl's voice answered from behind him. Jeremie turned to see Emily LeDuc.

"Oh, have you seen her?" He asked hopefully.

"No, and she's my partner on that project with the Python Theory or whatever it's called. I don't have her number, so I can't call her." Emily grumbled, annoyed.

"Oh, um, I'll call her." Jeremie pulled his mobile out from his pants pocket and held down the 1 key, which speed-dialed Aelita. "Hello, Aelita? Where are you?"

"Leave me alone." Aelita growled into her pink mobile.

"Aelita, Emily wants to work on the science project and I'd like to talk to you if you have some free time."

"Fine. I'll be there in a few minutes." Aelita angrily pressed the red key which ended the call. _And I just barely finished recreating the Forest sector from the backup we used when William destroyed Lyoko! _She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. _I suppose I could let the computer recreate the Ice sector overnight, and the backup will hopefully get rid of the weird-looking Towers and everything so they look the way they did._

"I'll find you, Daddy, I'll try tomorrow." Aelita closed the Localization window, however she let the external drive window remain. She sighed once more, got out of the chair and rounded the holographic projector to the elevator.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next morning, Aelita, still mad at Jeremie, went and sat down at the table Herve, Sissi, and Nicholas usually sat at. It was still a strange truce, but since defeating Xana the first time, the two groups had gotten along.

"What did you do, Einstein?" Odd looked over at Aelita sitting alone.

Today his latest girlfriend, Starla Ramisso, had taken Aelita's place. With her long black hair with green and pink highlights bound in hawser braid by a star clip, pale skin with intense green eyes, and a quirky wardrobe consisting of a sleeveless black and pink hoodie with a huge green star on the front, a green frilly skirt akin to a tutu, black leggings with pink and green polka dots, green and pink striped arm warmers and pure black combat boots, it was obvious what her favorite colors were. She seemed engrossed in staring at the orange that Rosa, the lunch lady, had placed on her tray.

Yumi leaned towards William. "She scares me." she whispered to the dark-haired boy, who merely smiled back and poked Theo Gauthier, who was between William and Emily LeDuc at the table, in the side.

When Sissi and her friends appeared, Odd looked back to Jeremie.

"I didn't do anything. Aelita wanted to," Jeremie lowered his voice and whispered in Odd's ear so Starla couldn't hear, "turn the Super Computer back on."

Odd promptly whispered this in Ulrich's ear, who then broke the news to Yumi, and she told William. Starla was too busy with her staring contest with the orange to notice being left out, and Theo and Emily were busy talking about other things.

"What, why?" Ulrich shoved his tray away, with his appetite suddenly lost. Obviously, Odd didn't mind too much, as he began chowing down on the food that was now sitting freely on the table.

Jeremie looked at Starla, as if regarding whether she'd even register the information he was about to tell the group in her mind. She seemed totally engrossed in the orange, for whatever strange reason. "She wants to look for Franz. I told her he's dead, but she still wants to. I guess she'll be mad at me for a while, but we can't take the risk." he explained.

"What risk?" Odd leans back in his chair. "If the Princess wants to look for Franz, what's the danger? We destroyed the Cortex. Xana's gone."

"That's not true. The multi-agent program worked as far as we know and the Cortex is gone now too, so the only Super Computer left is ours. That means Xana's just restricted to our Super Computer again, and he can't do anything too bad without the remaining code in you guys. If we turn the Super Computer on, it might allow Xana a chance to get his codes back, which will have the same result as him getting Aelita's Key last year. He can then make more Replikas. With the Super Computer off, Xana is off too."

As Jeremie spoke, Odd slowly reached for Starla's orange to take and eat it. Sensing the imminent disaster, Yumi withdrew from the group. As his hand neared, Starla's intense green eyes shifted from the orange to his hand. As soon as his finger barely touched the orange, she pulled out barber's scissors from her hoodie pocket and stabbed them into the tray where his hand would have been if he hadn't pulled away. William and Jeremie leaned away from her, terrified.

"Do_ not_ do that again." Starla growled. Then she went back into her blissful mode and stared at the orange once more.

"Well, better safe than sorry." Ulrich left the table to follow Yumi.

"I don't know if he means Starla or Xana." Odd whispered to Jeremie. "She's a peach, though. Really nice if you don't touch her food. Like me! But really, I don't know. It might be fun to go back to Lyoko! I loved going there." Odd laughed as he reminisced about his best moments on Lyoko.

"No, it wouldn't be." Jeremie chided.

"Just because you looked ridiculous doesn't mean we all did." Odd laughed as Jeremie made a face.

"Who was it who wanted a redo after landing on Lyoko as a giant purple cat?" Odd stopped laughing.

"It gave me my moves." Odd flexed his tiny muscles.

"Sure it did. You were every bit as scrawny before Lyoko as you are now."

"I'm not scrawny, I'm svelte!" The remaining four kids, counting Starla, finished breakfast and left to class.

-( ( • ) ) -

After class, Aelita wanted to go to the Factory but Emily caught her first. "Aelita, we need to work on the project."

"We have two weeks, and I'm busy with something else." Aelita turned and walked away before Emily could reply.

"But, I...Gee, wonder what's wrong with her." Emily shrugged and went to her room to work alone. "And I thought this was going to be easy. She's supposed to be a genius."

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi, Ulrich, and William were relaxing outside the woods when they saw Aelita running towards the entrance. "Hey, Aelita, want to go to the skate park with us?" William offered cheerily, forcing her to deviate from her path.

"No." Aelita flatly said, passing them by.

"I guess she's still mad at Jeremie." William watched Aelita walk away. He had vague memories of what he did when possessed by Xana and felt bad for what he did, even still. The others all said they forgave him at this point considering he had helped with the Cortex, but he still felt bad. And being forced to relive that horrible time period by that modified Scyphozoa which controlled him directly with its tentacles was just adding insult to injury.

"But why is she mad at us?" Yumi turned to Ulrich. "Did you say something to her?"

"No. I'd say we should follow her, but without Xana it's safe for her to go for a walk by herself." Ulrich replied.

"It's amazing how things have changed, isn't it, Ulrich?" Ulrich turned around and looks at Yumi.

"Some things have changed." _Others haven't. _"Well, my skateboard is in my room. I'll go get it and we can get going." Ulrich changed the subject.

"Mine's still at my house. It's weird not having it in the sewers. Let's just meet at the park." Yumi agreed. The three picked up their backpacks from their resting place on a tree and ran off in different directions.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was in the Control Room searching through Sector 5's map for any sign of her father when a cryptic message appeared. "Aelita, dear."

"Daddy!" Aelita put her hand on the screen. "Daddy, where are you? Tell me! I'll help you!"

"Aelita, dear, save me."

"I will, but you must tell me where you are!"

"I need you to give me power. I'm so weak now."

"How do I do that? And where are you?"

"It doesn't matter where I am, and I'm not sure. I need power to know and to come back. Launch a return, Aelita, dear."

"But then the others will know I turned the Super Computer back on. If they find out, they'll be mad at me and turn it back off."

"Then find another way."

"I...I can try and move some of the power used to run other useless programs. We don't need a Super Scan or the vehicle program since we don't need to deactivate Towers or get to them...we don't really need that program I used to make a clone to confuse Guardians, or Odd's Laser Arrow reload program...I suppose we can go without a telephone or a voice modifier since I have my own phone...Oh! I certainly don't need to have the Super Computer connected to that Lyoko backup you gave me anymore, that will free up a lot of resources." Aelita clicked around and turned few other programs off, and diverted the power to the Super Computer. "Is that enough, Daddy?"

"Let me see...I'm afraid not, no. Keep working, Aelita, dear, I'm sure you'll find a way."

"I will, Daddy. I _will._" Aelita typed furiously, and kept working.

-( ( • ) ) -

As the days went by, Jeremie and the others became worried. Aelita was withdrawn from everyone. She wouldn't talk with them, and Emily was getting mad that she was stuck doing all the work.

"Einstein, you have to talk to her." Odd was doing his homework, namely, copying off of Jeremie.

"And tell her what? She's just mad 'cuz I won't turn the Super Computer back on to look for dumb old Franz Hopper."

"Not 'dumb old Franz Hopper', her father." Yumi sat on Jeremie's bed next to Odd, looking over her own homework. "She loves her father and wants to save him. You would want the same."

"He's dead and she can't save him." Jeremie took his glasses off and rubbed his temples, trying to fight back the migraine.

"As much as I don't like my father, I can understand loving someone enough to do anything for them." Ulrich agreed. He looked over at Yumi. _I'd do anything for you. _Unfortunately, she seemed to take his glance as him addressing what she had said a few seconds earlier about if it were Jeremie's father. "Maybe you could turn it on for a couple days and look. Have us there to be ready to go to Lyoko if anything happens."

"And end up fighting Xana all over again?"

"Couldn't you just turn the computer back off?" William inquired, but Jeremie shook his head.

"Why not, Einstein?" Odd questioned.

"It's like I said earlier. If Xana gets his hands on enough of your, Yumi's, Ulrich's and Aelita's code that you got from him, it'd be like when he took Aelita's keys all over again. Turning off the Super Computer would do no good." Jeremie explained, causing Odd to frown.

"I don't want to hear about Xana ever again. Don't worry about that stupid wad of circuits. Just talk to her, okay? I'll talk to her after you do, and hope she understands." Odd offered, which in turn caused Jeremie to sigh.

"I'll talk to her." Jeremie left his room and pulled out his mobile, once again holding down the 1 key to call Aelita...but she doesn't answer. "I wonder where she is. I'll have to wait for her to come back. Hope it's before curfew." Jeremie retreated back into his room with the others.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was, once again, in the Control Room trying to find ways to give the Super Computer more power. "If I activate a Tower then transfer the power to the Super Computer it might work. But I don't know if I can still do that with the stuff I've deactivated already. Daddy?" A screen appeared and a message formed.

"Yes, Aelita, dear?" it read.

"Can I activate a Tower and transfer the power from it to the Super Computer? And if I can, how?"

"Activate it like your friend used to, Aelita, dear, and I'll see what I can do from here. It should still work."

"Okay, Daddy." Aelita called up the program and activated a Tower in the Ice Sector, which obtained a green mist around it on Lyoko.

"Okay, Daddy, please do what you can." Aelita felt excitement bubbling up inside her. Maybe she had already found a way to bring her father back and it only took a week! The others would never know she turned the Super Computer on, and they couldn't be too mad at her if she did tell them what she had done. "Daddy, can you do it?"

"Yes, Aelita, dear." The screen went blank.

"Come on, Daddy." Aelita crossed her fingers, bit her lip and hoped soon her father would be back on Lyoko.

On Lyoko, the activated Tower changed from green to red.

"Daddy, did you do it?" Aelita's reply was the Eye of Xana flashing across the monitor. Horror struck her like a match, and the excitement bubbling within her curdled and became steaming dread.

"Oh no!" She could only muster but one horrified whisper. A black mist emanated from the cords around the monitor, and it quickly flung itself at Aelita. The pink-haired girl crumpled to the floor with a scream as the mist forced itself into her nostrils. She soon struggled to breathe. The black mist pulled away from Aelita and disappeared to find someone or something it could possess.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie went up to Aelita's room and sat down outside of her door. "She can't stay away forever. Curfew will come and then I'll talk to her." Jeremie fixed his eyes on his watch and waited.

-( ( • ) ) -

Herve and Nicholas were on the river fishing for the umpteenth time. "I got another one!" Nicholas pulled a trout off his line and threw it back. They couldn't legally keep the fish but could enjoy catching and releasing them. The black mist had just then exited the Factory and took notice of the pair on the river a decameter out or so. It floated down and entered Nicholas, who began convulsing.

"What's wrong with you? If that's your victory dance, then you need lessons more than I do." Nicholas stopped shaking and stared at Herve. "What's wrong? Something on my face?"

Nicholas punched Herve then threw him into the river. "Hey! What the heck was that for?" As Herve struggled to climb out of the water, the possessed Nicholas leapt all the way to shore and darted into the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was setting up the auto transfer when she heard the elevator running. "It can't be them! Jeremie wouldn't have the Super Scan running to know there was an activated Tower." she reassured herself. Aelita entered the last command and ran for the ladder as the elevator doors opened and Nicholas stepped off.

"Hello Aelita. Thank you for giving me enough power to come back! You even activated the Tower for me!" Nicholas laughed evilly in a distorted voice before lunging at Aelita. She slid down the ladder and leapt off a few feet from the ground in the Scanner Room. She felt pain radiate up from her ankle, but was able to make it to the middle Scanner before the doors closed to virtualize her.

"I forgot to send any vehicles... I would have had to take the time to reinitialize that batch file anyway." She passed her left hand over her right wrist and her wings flared out. They lifted her into the air and allowed her to follow the pulsations through the recreated Ice Sector.

Nicholas dissolved into a black cloud and exited the Control Room. Dumping Nicholas' body near the river, the black Xana mist returned to the Factory and entered the Super Computer. Nicholas woke up a moment later, having no idea what had happened, just as Herve pulled himself up to the top, soaking wet.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita flew over some ice when she noticed the activated Tower and the two Megatanks guarding it. _Last time we were here Xana used the Kolossus to beat us...That won't happen to me because we destroyed the other Super Computers. This should be a lot easier. _Aelita found solace in those thoughts as she swerved to dodge a Megatank blast. She saw her chance and dove for the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie called Aelita's phone again but received no answer. "It's getting close to curfew. If Jim sees me sitting outside her door, he'll wonder where she is and she might get in trouble." Giving up for the night, Jeremie returned to his room.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Aelita's wing was clipped by a Megatank blast. With a scream, she spiraled downward into the Sector floor. She looked up to see the Scyphozoa above her.

"Not you!" she screamed. She turned to run but a tentacle wrapped around her waist and jerked her into the air. It placed its tentacles on her, one on either temple and one on her forehead. Orange, red and pink binary flowed from her brain to the Scyphozoa's. A moment later, it dropped her. Strangely, Aelita felt more or less unaffected. She scrambled to her feet and managed to escape another Megatank blast. She juked to her right to dodge another one then went into a dead sprint for the activated Tower. Both Megatanks opened and charged blasts.

-( ( • ) ) -

Herve and Nicholas, meanwhile, were fighting with each other near the river. "You pushed me in, you idiot!" Herve shrieked.

"I did not! I don't know what happened!" Nicholas yelled back. He shoved Herve to the ground then pinned him.

"Stop right there, you two!" On the ground, they both craned their necks to look to see an adult coming towards them. "I don't know what you're fighting about, but it won't be done out here! Get home, both of you!" Herve and Nicholas broke apart and sulked away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Back on Lyoko, Aelita was sure she was about to be hit. She closed her eyes with a whimper and expected to open them on Earth, even though she was still running, but when she opened them again, she found herself in the Tower. The Megatank blasts had hit the Tower and not her.

"I got lucky." She slowly walked to the middle of the platform, stopped and looked downward, and pulled her head up. When she did, she began floating to the second platform. Aelita performed a careful backflip to avoid hitting her head on the platform, and landed gently. She placed her palm on the control panel, which floated at about elbow height above the platform, and soon the screens on the tower wall, full of binary, fell around her to the bottom of the Tower network.

"Tower deactivated." Aelita simply activated the devirtualization program from the panel, and disintegrated off of Lyoko on the spot.

-( ( • ) ) -

A shaken Aelita returned to Kadic Academy. "It's a nightmare! It has to be a nightmare. Xana can't be powerful again, we destroyed the Cortex, he's incapacitated, and he couldn't have tricked me. I fell asleep and dreamed it up. He didn't use the Scyphozoa to take the rest of my codes, he's not back." She shook her head, trying to knock the horrible images dancing around in her brain out of her consciousness. She was so sure she could rescue her father after not saving him before, but now… "It has to be a nightmare. I'll wake up and it will be a new day." She retreated to her room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Herve and Nicholas were soon caught by Jim, who wondered what they were doing out so late and why Herve was soaked to the bone.

"We went fishing by the river, Jim, and I accidentally fell in." Herve stammered.

"Fishing? I remember a time I was on an Alaskan Fishing Boat. We would haul in salmon by the tons. Why, I remember," Jim began to ramble, but Nicholas cut him short.

"We are already late for curfew, we should be going to our rooms."

"Yes, well, I'll have plenty of time to tell you about the time I fell overboard in freezing water tomorrow. During detention." Jim escorted them to their rooms then left to the teachers' dorm area.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita changed for bed, wearing her oversized pink shirt with a red 'A' on it, and curled up in bed with Mister Puck. "I'll wake up, and it will be a new day. This didn't happen! It was just a nightmare." She fell asleep hoping for the best.

_**A/N: **Uh-oh! Looks like Aelita's stubbornness has gotten her in a sticky situation. See you next Friday, and be sure to review!_


	2. Episode 123: Repossession

_**A/N: **And here's an update, a day early. On to reviews!_

_To anonymous: Starla will not be visiting Lyoko in this book, nor will she learn about Lyoko. She's just a secondary character, another one of Odd's girlfriends, just like Samantha was. I haven't decided on Sissi going to Lyoko; she was Scanned in the original story, but she didn't actually go to Lyoko. If there's enough demand, she just might. _

_To Saracastik: Thank you! :)_

_Thanks to both of you for reviewing, and to the readers, let me know what you guys think about Sissi going to Lyoko later on. Enjoy!_

Days became weeks, and weeks became months. The Lyoko Warriors was starting to open up a bit more to different kids. Sissi, Starla, Emily, Theo and the boy in the dorm next door to Jeremie's dorm, Alexandre Du'Rona, had been hanging out with the gang more and more, almost taking Aelita's place. Now that there was no more Xana or Lyoko to hide, they team could open up and be sociable.

But Aelita still had Xana and Lyoko to hide. And she was losing sleep. She was losing her health. Aelita had been forced to deal with several more attacks, alone, over the past few months. She was getting stressed out from the attacks, school, and fighting with her friends. She couldn't let them know what she had done. She had to keep lying to them. But it was causing fights.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Aelita, I want to know what's wrong." One morning Odd had gotten her alone, away from the others, away from Jeremie and Ulrich and Starla. "You can tell me. We're family."

"No, we aren't, Odd! Not real family. I have no family left. My blood ties to you are a lie and you know it! I lost my mother and can barely remember her and I lost my father to Xana! Just leave me alone, Odd." Aelita shoved past him and sat in the cafeteria, alone.

-( ( • ) ) -

A few minutes later, Odd was talking to Jeremie. "Is there anything you can do, Einstein? What about a grandparent or a cousin? She's gotta have family."

"Franz and Antea were lone children, and all of their parents are dead. She doesn't have any family left." Jeremie shook his head.

"Well, then find something on them. Pictures, documents, something, Einstein. Aelita seems to be depressed or something. I'm really worried about her. Have you seen her lately? She's pale and I think she hasn't been eating." Odd glanced over at her, and noted the way she simply sat with her head on the table, with no tray in front of her to eat off of.

"She eats, sometimes. I know she ate yesterday during lunch." Jeremie recalled wistfully as though it was a decade ago.

"So more than a day?" Odd clutched his stomach. "I can just imagine how hungry I would be! How horrible!"

"I guess." Jeremie started to worry now. He had been worrying earlier, of course, but not too badly. He knew Aelita was mad at him for refusing to turn the Super Computer on but he didn't think she would take it this hard.

"Do something. I'll try to talk to her again later. Right now, she might slap me if I do. I bet she's still mad about a few minutes ago." Odd winced at the thought.

"Like you aren't used to angry girls slapping you." Jeremie quipped.

"Hey, she's different, Einstein, she's the Princess." Odd smiled. "And I dated every girl in our grade and the grade above ours, and I'm dating Starla right now, so if that doesn't last long there's always another option." He laughed lightly.

"Everyone?" Jeremie raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not the Princess or Sissi in the ninth grade and not Yumi in the tenth grade." Odd's smile grew wider. "Don't need you mad at me for the Princess. Don't need Ulrich mad at me for Yumi. And Sissi, well…"

"Has gotten better. Admit it. She's actually seemed human for the last semester. She hangs out with us pretty frequently now and only insulted your hair twice. And she doesn't call me 'Ulrich dear' anymore." Ulrich's voice argued behind Odd.

"Hey, you keeping your eye on her?" Odd pressed.

"No, I was just talking to her. Since we defeated Xana and have been able to act normal she's been acting differently."

"No more running off for the Factory." Jeremie smiled then. "I have work to do." He threw his tray in the nearest trash can and left for his dorm.

"So, talking to Sissi? What about Yumi?" Odd raised his eyebrow at Ulrich as Alex pulled up a chair.

That morning Alex's bright blonde hair, almost platinum unlike Odd's or Jeremie's, was gelled up, as usual. It didn't seem stiff; rather, it was soft, bouncy and voluminous. He wore a neon green leather jacket, unzipped over his gray T-shirt which hung over his green cargo pants and dark gray and green skeletal four-toed shoes. His eyes were a friendly shade of spring green, his face serious but handsome. His clothing clung tightly to his well-built muscular body. He obviously cared about appearance and health, and probably more so than his studies.

"G'morning, guys." he greeted them in a tired voice.

"It's nothing like that. I'm just friends with her." Ulrich ignored Alex's greeting and turned to go to his room to start on homework.

"With which one?" Ulrich also ignored Odd's stupid comment and equally stupid cackle behind him.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was just coming back from the Factory when she caught view of Jeremie sitting in front of her door with a folder and a smile wide as his face. "Hi Aelita!" He pulled himself off of the floor and handed the folder over to her. "Check it out. I think you'll like it."

"What is it?" Aelita turned the folder over, regarding it.

"I know you miss your family, so I looked up as much as I could. Your grandparents were Russian on your mom's side, and on your dad's side they were from Liechtenstein. I found a couple of pictures of them on an old archive section of the UN database. I also found out your grandmother on your dad's side actually worked for the…" Aelita flung the folder at Jeremie's face, and papers and pictures fell out as he scrambled to catch it.

"I don't want pictures or paperwork! I don't care who she worked for! I want my father!" Quickly, and already, tears welled up in her soft green eyes.

"But Aelita, he's gone. And the information I found on your mother could mean something. Antea Hopper Schaeffer actually worked for the Men in Black before-" Aelita shoved Jeremie aside and slammed the door behind her. "Aelita, it's important! Please listen to me."

"Leave me alone, Jeremie!" Aelita's voice was choked with sobbing. Jeremie leaned against the door.

"Please, Aelita, I'm worried about you. You know my feelings for you. Please, let me help you." Jeremie knocked on the door.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you!" Aelita laid down on her bed and grabbed Mister Puck. She was no closer to finding her father and Xana was only getting stronger. She had deleted several programs, and temporarily disabled others, to give power to who she thought was her father. She had restarted work on several programs in an attempt to make things easier but even then...She was alone. If the others knew, they would hate her forever. She had to find her father and help him destroy Xana.

"But Aelita, I did this for you! I know you want-"

"I don't have a mother or father here to love me, and you refused to help me look for my father, even though he can be saved, but instead you wasted your time on finding little stupid facts on my mom, who can also be saved, mind you!" Jeremie sighed and cleaned up the folder and papers. He slid it under Aelita's door, then slunk away.

The next day, Aelita was looking through the folder. _She was one of them. She worked for them, and that's how she met my father. _Aelita read through some documents. _She was an agent with Project Carthage but she fell in love and later ran off with him when he left the project. She_ wanted to know more, but the document ended there. _It didn't do them any good. She was still taken, then my father had to hide on Lyoko and I had to go with him._ She listlessly threw the documents on her bed and got ready for school.

-( ( • ) ) -

During lunch, Aelita walked over to the others and sat down next to Starla, whose hair was in a sort of modified rose stem that day. She had been avoiding them all since the fighting started, but with Sissi first prattling about her soap operas and then moving altogether to her friends' table, she had been quite lonely. And she did miss her friends. They were her first friends and really only friends on Earth.

Odd saw her and smiled. "Hey Princess. Starla, mind trading seats with me so I can talk to Aelita for a minute?" He asked his girlfriend sweetly.

"No, I don't mind at all." Starla slid her tray over and scooted into her new seat as soon as Odd got up to sit in her old one.

"Glad you could join us," He put an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her in a hug for a second and a half, "I was starting to miss you." He looked at her plate pleadingly. "Going to eat that?" He reached for a croissant, obviously having learned nothing from his mistake with Starla.

"Yes!" Aelita growled. She yanked the tray into the air away from him, plucked the croissant off and licked all sides of it to ward him away.

"Oh Aelita, don't you know? Living with my sisters means I'll eat any food, licked or not." Odd laughed and continued staring at the croissant. Alex looked at Yumi across from him, on the other side of Starla.

"How does he eat so much and stay so scrawny?" He asked her wonderingly. Yumi opened her mouth to reply, but Odd did the job for her.

"I ain't scrawny! I'm svelte."

Ulrich and Jeremie caught view of Odd and Aelita and approached with their trays. "Hi Princess." Ulrich sat down next to Yumi, across from William, and Jeremie sat in the empty seat across Aelita, next to Sissi. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. Why?" Aelita answered Ulrich's question, and gave him one of her own.

"We're worried about you." Jeremie reached across the table and took Aelita's hands in his. "I'm sorry for upsetting you yesterday, Aelita."

"Don't be, Jeremie, it's okay." Aelita pulled her hands away from him awkwardly. "I'm hungry." Aelita took a bite from the croissant she had licked a moment ago so she wouldn't have to talk.

"So, you're the new friends in our group?" Aelita then offered to Alex and Starla as she chewed. "How'd you meet the others?"

"I'm Starla, Odd's girlfriend. I have Ms. Hertz with him and I sit next to him, he was my first friend here since I moved from Lincoln High. Nice to meet you!" She leaned back a bit and reached her left hand out, behind Odd, to Aelita in a request for a handshake.

"I'm Alex. My dorm is next door to Jeremie, not far from Odd and Ulrich, and we just got to talking and figured out we get along pretty well." Alex explained as Starla shook Aelita's hand.

"It's so super nice to finally meet you. We've been hearing about you for the last two or three months but you've never been around. I'm glad our paths finally crossed." Starla beamed.

"So, how did you all meet?" Alex looked from person to person. "No one?" Nobody seemed to want to offer a recounting.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana watched and waited. He knew he couldn't risk the whole group when he was so weak. He had to wait for Aelita to be alone to try and take her out. He had his plans set up and would take them out one at a time…

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was headed towards her room to get a few things for the project she and Emily were partners on, something like a protractor and graphing paper. They had to get it done by the next night to meet the due date. Aelita had admittedly done a little work but knew she had to do more to be fair.

As she opened her door a black mist burst out from her room, wrapped around her and pushed her in, all in the blink of an eye. "What was that?" She turned around to see the black mist. "Xana!" It attacked her, but could not possess her. It attacked her instead by trying to suffocate her. Aelita tried to cough enough to gag it out, but it exited her throat on its own. It flew about the room making a mess.

Aelita ran out of her room and saw Yumi talking with Emily. _No! I can't let them see the specter!_ She ran back into her room and slammed the door shut. "Xana, please, don't let them see you." The black mist drained into her lamp and disappeared as Emily knocked on the door.

"Aelita? Are you ready?"

"Uh, well…" Aelita opened her door slowly, and Emily, with Yumi behind her, saw the mess in the room.

"What happened?" Yumi looked around, her mouth agape. _Xana! No, wait, he's gone. Guess she's just disorganized._

"I don't know. The window was open and this is how I found my room." Aelita pretended to go back to cleaning up. "I don't know where my stuff is, Emily, um...I'll call you when I find it." Aelita found the folder Jeremie had made for her and stuffed some of the photos and documents in it.

"We can help you, Aelita." Yumi kindly offered.

Aelita snapped back at Yumi. "No! This is my room and my stuff." She still feared Xana might pop back out of that lamp and blow her secret.

"_Sorry_." Yumi snorted as she and Emily left the room. _Someone's still in a mood._

Aelita waited a few minutes then peeked out the door. She saw nobody, and ran out of her room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana was making preparations. He wanted to get rid of Aelita once and for all and was about to call on an old soldier to do just that. A tower in the recreated Ice Sector took on a red aura.

-( ( • ) ) -

William was in his room doing homework. He didn't see the black mist enter his room. He also didn't see the black mist swell up behind him, and he didn't see it lunge at his head and enter his ears and nostrils. "No, Xana!" William struggled then collapsed. When his eyes opened, Xana's symbol appeared in them.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita got to the Factory and saw someone sitting on the edge of the Factory entrance. She approached slowly, not knowing who it was. She was about a quarter of the way down the bridge when recognition clicked in her mind. "William?"

"Aelita?" William turned around and saw her. "What are you doing here?" Aelita looked down at her feet.

"Um, I was just, um, wanting to get away from everything." Aelita's voice quavered. _He can't find out! _She walked slowly towards William, however she was on-edge. "What are_ you _doing here?"

"Waiting for you." William sparked with energy. "And you came right to me!" Energy crackled around William, and light shone from his eyes. When the energy and light subsided, he was in his old Xanafied Lyoko form, complete with Zweihander.

"It's over, Aelita!" William swung the Zweihander, but Aelita flung herself out of the way.

Aelita unleashed a scream and barreled at the Xanafied William. He couldn't bring the Zweihander up in time to impale her or cut her down, and she shoved him out of the way as she charged into the Factory. He was slowed by the blade, but still chased her in. She jumped and started to swing down the rope, but William arrived and simply swung the Zweihander, cleaving through the rope and sending Aelita to the Factory floor. She landed badly on her left leg and felt pain shoot through her around her knee.

"You can't get away from me, Aelita! Go ahead and flee to Lyoko! I'll be waiting!" William became a black mist and disappeared into a nearby electrical outlet.

"I have to make it." Aelita limped over to the elevator, glad William had decided to face her on Lyoko. At that time her right knee was screaming in pain, and she wouldn't have been able to get away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie approached Aelita's dorm and rapped his fist against the door. "She won't answer her phone and she's not in her room. Where is she going all the time?" Jeremie shook his head and slinked away, wondering about Aelita.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita started up the timed transfer, her card forming on the screen, and hobbled to the elevator. She couldn't use the ladder with her injured knee. Aelita forced herself towards the middle Scanner and limped in, mere seconds before the doors closed.

She landed on Lyoko in the Ice Sector, where the activated Tower was. _If I gotta fight William and Xana isn't going to decide a location, it's gonna be near the active Tower._ She passed her hand over the watch and her wings burst out from her shoulder blades. _I better hurry before anyone wonders where William and I are. _She took off.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie sat in his room on his computer. "This thing is so slow. If I could use the Super Computer to run these calculations I'd probably be done by now." Jeremie typed in another calculation, then froze, his eyes wide. "Super Computer!" He got out of his chair, leaving it spinning, and dashed out of the dorm room.

"Oh, hey Jeremie." Alex greeted. He had just come out of the boys' showers, with a towel wrapped around his waist, leaving his muscled and hairy chest and abs bare. It looked as though he had styled his bright gold hair in the shower room, as it was wet but still up. "You sure seem to be in a hurry." He noted as he ran a finger through his navel hair and ab ridges.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Um...yeah. We can hang out later, I gotta go!" Jeremie took off before Alex could ask any more questions.

Aelita neared the activated Tower and William in front of it. "Energy Field!" She lobbed one at him but he blocked it effortlessly with his Zweihander. "William, you must defy Xana!" Aelita urged as another energy orb formed in her hands.

"Xana wants you dead!" William leapt at Aelita.

"You don't have to listen! Energy Field!" Aelita threw one, then another at William, trying to keep him from reaching her. He blocked them with his Zweihander, then, when his colossal leap got him close, he slashed at Aelita. She quickly veered to the side and threw an energy orb up close as he slowly moved past her. At such close range, and unable to dodge due to the leap limiting him, he fells to the Sector ground below. Aelita flew over him towards the activated Tower.

"Super Smoke." William turned into black mist and sped to the front of the activated Tower. He appeared right before Aelita got to it. "Don't think it is that easy, Aelita." William swung at her but she ducked.

"You never used to talk so much! Energy Field!" She threw it and William wasn't fast enough to block it with his sword; he was hit. He fell backwards against the Tower, but since he wasn't concentrating in the least it rejected him. "Energy Field!" She threw the orb but this time William blocked it. He flung himself at her and slammed the flat edge of the blade into her.

"Time for you to die, Aelita! He is not here to save you this time!" William extended his hand to her; black smoke and mist sprayed out to her, enveloping her and lifting her into the air.

"No, William, don't!" Aelita floated close to the edge of the Sector. "Please William, don't do this! Xana cannot control you if you fight him enough!" Aelita struggled but couldn't break the smoke's hold. "Energy Field!" She managed to form one and flick her hand enough to fire it, but missed William. She tried it again and missed.

"Energy Field!" She threw a third field and William dodged it. It hit the Tower and made strange noise, plus enveloped it in pink lightning for a split second. William turned to see what had made the sound. "Energy Field!" This time Aelita's aim was true and it hit William in the back of the head.

Unfortunately, the attack broke his focus and dissipated the smoke just as she was off the Sector. Aelita fell over the edge but quickly passed her hand over her star bracelet and her wings formed again. She vaulted over the side and saw William recovering.

"I won't go that easily!" William growled.

"You did before!" Aelita shot back and threw several orbs at William, who used his Zweihander to block them.

"Super Smoke." William retreated to the activated Tower but Aelita was ready.

"Energy Field!" As William appeared from the smoke, an energy orb pulverized him; he devirtualized back to Earth. Aelita stopped right in front of the activated Tower and dismissed her wings. She dashed in and approached the middle of the platform. She floated up to the second platform and walked to the Control Panel. She placed her hand on it and soon the binary screens fell around her. "Tower deactivated." She sent herself back and saw William passed out in front of the rightmost Scanner. "I better hurry."

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie got to the end of the sewer passage and climbed up. He ran across the bridge just in time to see Aelita with her arms wrapped around William on the Factory floor. "Aelita!" He gasped in horror. She looked up and saw Jeremie.

"Jeremie, I, um," Aelita realized how it looked to him. "It's not what it looks like, let me explain before you do anything rash!" Her mind raced to formulate an excuse that would keep him from finding out about Xana, but also make him understand she was doing nothing with William.

"I can't believe you." Jeremie turned and ran away crying. Aelita dropped William to the Factory floor.

"It's not what it looks like, darn it! Get back here and listen to me!" Aelita started to cry as she went to chase after Jeremie. By the time she climbed the rope and got up to the Factory entrance, Jeremie was gone. She whipped her mobile out and called Jeremie, but he didn't answer. "I'm sorry Jeremie, it's not what it looks like!" She left this message more than a dozen times, but Jeremie never called back or picked up.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita waited for William to wake up. "William, this is bad."

"Uh, what happened?" He propped himself on his arms and looked Aelita in the eyes.

"You fell and hit your head. I was trying to help you when Jeremie saw me. Well, my arms were around you, cuz I was trying to wake you up. It looked bad, and he ran off before I could explain."

"Oh. Um...I don't know what to do."

"Tell Yumi and Ulrich what happened, and I'll tell Odd. They'll believe us and maybe they can tell Jeremie since he won't answer his mobile when I call."

"I guess I can tell them...Yeah, sorry."

"Don't be. He saw something and wouldn't wait. I want to tell him but he won't listen. It's not your fault. Are you ok, though? You weren't bleeding or anything, so I didn't call for help."

"I feel okay." William rubbed his head and didn't feel a bump. "Are you sure I fell off the edge?"

"Yes, I was so scared." Aelita smiled. "But I guess your hard head saved you." She giggled.

"Yeah, I guess." He pulled his mobile out dialed Yumi's number, and Aelita followed his lead with Odd's number.

"Odd, I'm sorry." Aelita blurted.

"Princess, it's okay. I don't know what it's like to be missing someone like that. Are you okay?" Concern etched his voice, even through the mobile.

"Mostly. I wanted to go somewhere alone and went to the Factory. I wasn't alone, though. William was already there. We were talking, he was goofing off and fell off the edge inside near the ropes and hit his head. I was trying to help him when Jeremie walked up."

"So?"

"My arms were wrapped around William, cuz I was trying to wake him up and, um...it looked bad."

"Oh. Einstein saw something that wasn't there?"

"Nothing_ was _there! But he didn't give me a chance to tell him! He just ran away and won't answer his cell phone."

"That's not good. How's Will-I-Am?"

"He's fine now, or at least he says he's okay. But could you try to talk to Jeremie? William is calling the others. We're hoping maybe he will listen to them."

"Okay." He hung up.

"I hope it works." Aelita bit a nail in worry. She had strong feelings for Jeremie and didn't want to lose him. Especially over something so stupid. After all, she had to keep Jeremie from finding out about what she did. If Jeremie knew she turned the Super Computer back on… He'd probably never speak to her again.

_**A/N: **And things are going downhill again! Looks like William's long-term possession made Xana's work easier. Be sure to leave a review, eh?_


	3. Episode 124: Second Family

Aelita was on Lyoko, in the Forest Sector, battling a Tarantula. She hid behind a large, hollow tree and waited for the Tarantula's torrent of lasers to let up. "Energy Field!" She threw the energy orb at the Tarantula but missed. _I need to get by it!_ She scraped her mind to pull together a plan.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie, Yumi, Odd, and Ulrich were going through the sewers. Things between Jeremie and Aelita were still tense but they weren't fighting as much. Unfortunately for her, Jeremie noticed something strange, then saw Aelita run off into the forest. If that didn't mean something, nothing would.

"It could only mean one thing! She turned the Super Computer on and Xana stole the codes she had, and he got out again!" Jeremie was growing angrier with every step he took.

"Or, you're seeing things, Einstein." Odd was getting more excited than angry. _What if Aelita did turn the Super Computer back on? What if Xana came back? I could go back to Lyoko and fight! It was exciting and more fun than anything on Earth. Nothing could compare to the rush._

"Yeah, Jeremie, you're just seeing things. Even if she did go here, you know it's probably just to get away for a little bit, be alone. You know how hard that science project was on her. She was working with Emily only to get a C." Yumi tried to reassure herself and the others, but she too got worried with every step. If Aelita did indeed turn the Super Computer back on and Xana got out, it would ruin her life again. Her grades were finally up to an 87 average and she enjoyed hanging out with her friends, with William, Ulrich, Jeremie, Odd, and Aelita, and she was making friends with Starla, Alex, Emily, Theo and yes, even Sissi. She especially enjoyed hanging out with Ulrich who…was just a really good friend.

"She didn't, wouldn't, turn it back on." Ulrich got more scared with every step. If Aelita did turn the Super Computer back on and Xana got out, it would ruin his life again too. He finally got back on the football team and won three games already. He got his grades up to an 82 average and had a great time hanging out with Yumi, William, Jeremie, Odd and Aelita, and he was making friends with Alex, Starla, Emily, Theo and yes, even Sissi. He especially enjoyed hanging out with Yumi who…was just a really good friend.

"If she did we'll have to do something about her." Jeremie clenched his hands into fists. He had worked so hard to defeat Xana, but to think that Aelita may have let him out! If she did, then he didn't know if he could forgive her. He had such strong feelings for her! But Xana was something beyond anything he could forgive.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita closed her eyes and started to sing. A clone was formed and it flew away from the Tower. The Tarantula focused on it and fired at it while the true Aelita created two energy orbs. "Energy Field!" She threw them both and hit her target with the second one. The Tarantula was destroyed and she hurried to the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and the others took the elevator down to the Control Room.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Tower deactivated." The binary screens fell around her. "I better get back before anyone notices I'm gone."

"Too late." A voice rang throughout Lyoko, and Aelita released a little squeak of a scream.

"Jeremie?!"

"Yes!" Jeremie materialized Aelita, and she sheepishly took the elevator up to the Control Room.

"Um, hi." She took in the sight of everyone, except William.

"Where's William?" Jeremie got up from the computer chair.

"I don't know." she mumbled.

"So he doesn't know about this?" Jeremie interrogated her furiously. Aelita shook her head. "How long did you think you could keep this from us?!" Jeremie started to scream and couldn't stop. "How could you turn the Super Computer back on and not think we would find out! You let Xana out, didn't you?!"

"Um...not exactly. I was trying to bring my dad back and…" Jeremie cut Aelita off.

"You_ can't! Franz Hopper is __**dead**_!" Everyone flinched as Jeremie screamed louder. "He died to save us and you erased that! He died to save you and us and Earth but you thought you saw Xana, and yeah, it was him, but we destroyed the Cortex and everything was fine but you _ruined it!_ I can't believe you, Aelita! How could you be so _stupid?!_" Jeremie got closer to Aelita when Odd stepped between them.

"Calm down, Einstein, she was trying to find her parents. I, I can't," Odd stopped when he saw the look on Jeremie's face. "I don't want Xana to be back either, but now that he is, we have to work to stop him." Odd defended when Ulrich made a grunting noise. "What?"

"You're a horrible liar, Odd. This is the best news you've heard since you found out we were getting two new female students from Lincoln, and one of them was willing to go out with you." Ulrich scoffed.

"I...that's not true." Odd stammered. This time Jeremie answered.

"It is too, isn't it?! You're probably thinking of going to Lyoko right now to play the hero for her!" Jeremie pointed at Aelita. "Last time she was innocent! It was her father who made Xana! But this time she released Xana! We had him beat! We won! And she let him go!"

"Jeremie! I'm sorry!" Aelita pleaded.

"Don't say that! You're not sorry! You don't care! I told you not to turn the Super Computer on and you did it anyways! How long has this been going on?!" Jeremie shrieked.

"Um, a few months, since late January..." Aelita looked away from the others as her cheeks burned and flushed red. "I'm so sorry, everyone..."

"No, you're not! If you were, you wouldn't have done it in the first place! You don't care! You went off on your own and did whatever you wanted!" Jeremie made a move towards Aelita, but Odd got in the way again.

"Einstein, she said she was sorry." Jeremie pushed Odd away and stormed to the elevator.

"You'll be sorry when Xana wins! We can't kill him again and we can't trap him again! We got lucky destroying the Cortex and keeping his codes as long as we did. Franz beat him in the first place, not us, and _Franz, is,_ _**dead!**_" Jeremie punched the button and the elevator doors closed.

"No, I, I _am_ sorry." Aelita started to sob violently. "I didn't want to bring Xana back, I wanted to bring my father back."

"But you didn't. You released Xana, and," Yumi clenched her hands into fists, "I want to be alone. Come on, Ulrich." Yumi turned and went to take the other way out of the Control Room.

Odd turned to Aelita. "It's okay, Aelita, I'm not mad at you. I...I just need time to think about all this. I guess you did pretty well, fighting for that long by yourself."

"I...I guess. He's weak still. Hasn't been able to do much more than possess someone. I've gotten lucky on Lyoko." Aelita shrugged.

"Once we all have time to calm down and get used to this again you'll have your knights to protect you, Princess." Odd offered weakly.

"Do you think they'll come the next time Xana launches an attack?"

"They have to. At least we'll get to see them more."

"What do you mean?"

"Haven't you noticed? Ulrich, Yumi and William always seem to be out doing stuff, while you and Jeremie did your brainy stuff. Then I get to hang out with Starla some, and Alex, Emily and Theo are cool. Sissi finally came around. But they aren't Lyoko Warriors. It seems like we only come together at meals."

"I see."

"I have to admit, it's nice to date someone who doesn't think I have a reputation as a player. I've changed a bit over the years." Odd smiled weakly. "But I missed you guys. Once we all calm down we'll be okay." Odd smiled a bit more genuinely. "I may be upset, but family has to stick together."

"I guess." Aelita looked wistfully at the control panel. "I better start up the Super Scan Program. I worked most of it back together so it should work."

"Huh?"

"I deleted some of the programs to get more power. I thought it was my father but it wasn't."

"Oh. So you did help him?"

"I didn't know it was Xana!"

"But once you figured out it was Xana you could have just deactivated the tower and turned the computer off."

"N-No...he sent the Scyphozoa to take the rest of the codes in me. He probably got Yumi's somehow too."

"Then it's like Jeremie said, it's like when he got your Keys to Lyoko and wasn't restricted to our Super Computer. What about William?"

"What about him?"

"Does he know?"

"I said he doesn't."

"Did he really fall and hit his head?"

"Huh?" Aelita was confused.

"A week ago you were here with him. You said he fell and hit his head. I'm guessing that didn't really happen."

"Um...no, it didn't, not exactly. Xana possessed him and I beat him on Lyoko. I was trying to get him out of the Factory when Jeremie saw us."

"Anything else you want to do?"

"Go back and hold Mister Puck and hope I'll wake up and find this was all a nightmare."

"I hope so too." Odd frowned. "I better get going."

"Okay. Bye Odd." Aelita waved goodbye, holding back tears, as he took the elevator up. As soon as he was gone, Aelita let them fall. _You're mad too! You just won't admit it. Liar! _She crossed over to the control panel and started up the Super Scan.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd got to his dorm room and went to his bed. "Kiwi! Who's a good diggety dog?" Kiwi barked and wagged his tail.

"He must be happy to see you after all that time with your sisters." a voice said flatly. Odd turned to see Ulrich.

"Yeah, it's good to have him back. I hope Xana doesn't attack him. You know it wasn't Aelita's fault."

"So? We shouldn't have to worry about that! We did it, we finally isolated him and she brought him back!"

"Not on purpose. No one would do that."

"You might." Ulrich snarked. Odd flushed red.

"_What!?_"

"I said you might! You loved Lyoko! You loved the danger and the fighting! I know you've been miserable without it!"

"I liked it, but I'm not dumb enough to let Xana out just to do it again! And don't you dare tell me you didn't like being a hero!"

"I'm done being a hero! I want to play football, do well in school, and hang out with my friends, not worry if today will be my last, because Xana might win tomorrow or the next day!"

"Xana's weak. Aelita told me. We don't have to worry about anything. Aelita hasn't had to do any returns since Xana has been back."

"So?! She got lucky!"

"She didn't get lucky. She's just that good. You know she can fight and defend herself now. We've seen her do it more than a dozen times."

"Why are you defending her? She's ruined our life once and now she's going to do it again!"

"She ruined nothing! Life was great!"

"Tell that to William! He was a slave to Xana for months!"

"And Aelita saved him! She can do it, Ulrich, we can do it. We beat Xana once, and we can do it again."

"You heard Jeremie! Franz did it! Then we got lucky with Tyron! Without Franz we're screwed! We were done and now we're going to lose!"

"We are not. If you're not going to calm down and think about it I'm not going to talk to you."

"Fine!" Ulrich stormed out of the dorm and slammed the door behind him.

-( ( • ) )-

The next day, Jeremie, Ulrich, and Yumi glared at Odd and Aelita as they walked by with their breakfast trays.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Alex looked from Jeremie to Yumi. The two he'd questioned both shook their heads and stared at their alienated friends. Sissi and William simply stared at the events playing out before them as Starla, her hair in a two-strand braided bun, left to sit with Odd and Aelita.

-( ( • ) )-

During class, Aelita and Odd sat together, sparking gossip. "Did Aelita and Jeremie break up?"

"I heard Aelita and Odd liked each other."

"But he's dating Starla! And aren't he and Aelita cousins?"

"I heard they were caught kissing."

"No way, I heard that was a rumor started by Sissi."

"I wouldn't start a rumor about my friends! It was a stupid rumor started by Herve and Nicholas."

"Nicholas and I really did see them kissing. Maybe Jeremie saw them."

"No way, it has to be something else." The students continued talking, swapping rumors and a few outright lies about what happened.

-( ( • ) )-

Over the next couple of days the rumors got wilder. But the group got more worried. If Xana was to be true to form he would have been attacking soon. As Aelita was going to the girls' shower Sissi stopped her. "What's going on?" Sissi asked, concerned.

"I don't know what you mean." Aelita stopped briefly to answer. "I need to take a shower." Sissi stepped aside, letting Aelita in, but followed her in to continue talking.

"You know what I mean. What's going on with you, Odd, and Jeremie? Are you really dating Odd now? I thought he was dating Starla. Why don't you two sit with us anymore?"

"No! Nothing is going on. Please, Sissi, don't worry about it." Aelita walked away, and just as she got to the shower room, a black mist emerged from a sink and possessed Sissi.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie heard his laptop beep in his room. "I never wanted to hear that noise again." He opened his laptop up. "Desert Sector."

He called Odd. "If you can find the time, Odd, you might want to go to the Factory since Xana is attacking."

"I'll be there." Odd hung up and turned to Starla. "Hey, I'm sorry, but my cousin is in trouble."

"Aelita?" Starla wore a look of concern, and her bangs, the only part of her hair not in her bun, fell into her eyes.

"The one and only." Odd smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll be back soon, okay?"

"Alright. I hope everything works out for her. Send her my regards!" Starla shouted to Odd as he ran to the dorms.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita stood under the shower spray when she heard the door open. She turned around and saw Sissi come in still dressed. "You're going to get your clothes wet." When Sissi opened her eyes and Aelita saw Xana's symbol, she screamed.

Odd was looking for Aelita when he heard the scream. "Aelita!" He saw where the scream came from and hesitated. "Uh-oh, where's Yumi?" Odd whipped out his mobile and called Yumi. "I think Aelita is being attacked but I can't help her."

"Why?"

"She's in the shower room."

"Oh, I'll be there, maybe." Yumi hung up on Odd before he could respond to her last comment.

"Ulrich, Odd is being annoying. Again. We need to go teach him a lesson." She pointed east where the Factory was, hoping Ulrich would get the message without letting William and Theo know.

"Leave him alone. I can't stand how he's been acting lately." Ulrich growled. Yumi sighed and shook her head.

"I think we need to go and teach him a lesson, _now_."

"But Yumi, we're about to watch the Subdigitals new music video." Ulrich persisted.

"Fine. I'll go alone." Yumi gave up.

"I'll go with you." William began to get his backpack, but Yumi stopped him.

"Don't worry about it. Stay and watch the new music video so you can tell me about it." Yumi left the rec room and went to the dorm building.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd heard more screaming but wouldn't go in. "Aelita, hold on, help's coming!" He heard an evil laugh.

"It won't matter!" Sissi sparked with energy and lightning crackled in her hands as Aelita leaned against a wall.

"No!" Odd closed his eyes and ran in. When he ran into a bench, he opened his eyes. "Oh duh, changing room, just like our shower room." He saw the door to the actual shower area. "Okay, let's try this again. Leave her alone, Xana!"

"Why should I when I'm about to win?!" Sissi's corrupted evil laughter allowed Odd to run in with his eyes closed, place where she was like a game of Marco Polo and tackle her.

"Aelita, get out of here!" Odd wrestled with the Xanafied Sissi but was being beaten badly. Aelita ran out and grabbed a robe.

"Don't get hurt, Odd!" Odd opened his eyes as soon as Aelita was out of the room.

"Too bad, Xana. She got away." Odd slammed his forehead into Sissi's nose causing her to fall off of him. "I hope she's not mad about that later." He scrambled off the floor and ran out of the room as Sissi's face sparked, healing her nose. "Guess she won't be!"

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi was outside of the shower room when Odd ran out, and because she didn't see who it was who rammed into her, she thought he was Xana and began pummeling him.

"Stop it, Yumi!" Odd got up and away from Yumi. "Did you see Aelita?" Odd looked behind him when he heard the shower door slam. "We have to get out of here!" Odd started to run and Yumi followed behind him as Sissi sparked with energy, ready to attack them both.

Aelita ran out onto the campus in just the robe. A few students saw her and started to shout but Aelita ran out into the woods.

Odd and Yumi ran out of the building next. From what it looked like, Yumi was chasing after Odd. "You don't think she walked in on those two doing something, do you?" Other students started to talk as Starla walked up and shook her head, disgusted.

-( ( • ) )-

Xana stopped at the doorway. He decided he didn't want all of those people to see Sissi sparking and acting stange, and turned Sissi into a black mist instead.

Ulrich was in the gym working out. He watched the music video then decided he didn't want to be around William. When Yumi was with them it was ok but when she wasn't he didn't see any point. He was doing some stretches when Sissi appears. "Ulrich, do you think I could work out with you?"

"Sure, Sissi. But you might want to change into some gym clothes." Sissi smiled as she sparked with energy and her clothes morphed into her gym clothes. "Is this good enough, Ulrich?"

"Xana!" Ulrich ran toward the gym doors but Sissi sparked with more energy and flew at him, tackling him to the floor.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita didn't stop running until she made it to the sewer entrance. "I have to be really careful." She bent down slowly to pull the sewer cover off.

"Wait, Aelita!" Yumi shouted and got Aelita's attention.

"Yumi, how did you know to come?"

"Odd called me." Odd caught up a moment later. "He said you were in the shower room and couldn't help you."

"He did." Aelita sighed with a blush. "I wish you hadn't done that, Odd, Yumi could have saved me."

"Don't worry, Aelita. I had my eyes closed." Odd smirked. "Yumi, did you tell the others?"

"I tried to get Ulrich to come, but he was so thick-headed, it didn't get through. I don't know about Jeremie."

"He called me." Odd said as he turned towards Aelita.

Yumi's phone rang. "Jeremie?"

"Xana's attacking."

"Yeah, we know. He went after Aelita but she got away. Call Ulrich. Everyone else already knows."

"Everyone?"

"Well, not William."

"Okay." They hung up and Jeremie called Ulrich, but he didn't answer. "Xana must have changed his targets. I better use the school's sewer entrance." He grabbed his laptop and stuffed it into his bag, then ran out of his room.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita, Yumi, and Odd made it to the Factory before long. Odd exited the sewers first, then Yumi, then Aelita. "Sissi isn't around here. She might have gone after Jeremie or Ulrich." Odd ran across the bridge and the two girls followed.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich wrestled with Sissi on the gym floor. "Come on, Ulrich, you're stronger than that, why are you holding back?!"

"Hai!" Ulrich kicked Sissi in the stomach as hard as he could, but she sparked with energy and was unfazed.

"Was that it?"

"You're cheating." Ulrich backrolled and landed on his feet. "If you went toe to toe you'd lose." Ulrich wiped the sweat from his brow. "But I admit this is a pretty good work out." They continued to fight.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie made it to the Factory and went to the Control Room where he found Aelita sitting in the computer chair. "Where are the others?"

"Ulrich didn't make it and I sent the other two to Lyoko already." Aelita walked over to the elevator. "Thank you for coming, Jeremie."

"Don't start." Jeremie didn't seem to notice or care about the hurt expression on Aelita's face as he sat down in the computer chair. "Get down to the Scanner Room so I can send you." Jeremie gruffly commanded as he brought up her ID Card for transfer. "Fine." Aelita got on the elevator, holding back tears. She ran to the middle Scanner and stepped inside as soon as the elevator doors opened again.

"Transfer Aelita." Light shone around her and a weak upward wind blew.

"Scanner Aelita." The Scanner levitated her and she spun in a circle as a laser band scanned her genetic makeup.

"Virtualization." The upward wind returned and blew with great force as light overtook her. Aelita landed on Lyoko in the Forest Sector near the others as the vehicles materialized. Aelita went to get on the Overwing when Yumi glared at her.

"Get on the Overboard with Odd." Yumi growled. Aelita winced and climbed onto the Overboard.

"Where do we go, Einstein?" Odd felt Aelita wrap her arms around his waist. "Hang on, Aelita."

"East." Odd took off and Aelita had to hang on tightly to keep from falling off as Yumi followed.

-( ( • ) )-

As Ulrich and Sissi fought, news of Aelita, Odd, and Yumi spread. The teachers soon went out to find them and Jim checked the gym. "What are you two doing?" He saw Sissi and Ulrich grappling.

"Training." Sissi smiled sweetly yet evilly. "Why?"

"Have either of you seen Aelita, Odd, or Yumi?"

"Um, I think Yumi might be hanging out with William. I could help you look if you want." Ulrich wanted to get away from Sissi.

"No, no, you two keep training. Being physically fit is very important. Especially for you, Ulrich, we have semifinals to get ready for next week." Jim left the gym and Sissi laughed.

"I wonder what they thought."

"Thought of what?" Ulrich backed away from Sissi.

"Aelita must have grabbed a robe or a towel before running out of the shower but that still would be something. Especially if Odd was chasing after her. How must Starla feel?" Sissi laughed more.

"Hai!" Ulrich leapt at Sissi with a flying kick to silence her.

-( ( • ) )-

On Lyoko, the three neared the activated Tower and two Tarantulas. "Aelita, do you want to fly on your own?" Odd asked.

"I can do it." Aelita passed her hand over her watch and her wings flared from her back. She jumped off the Overboard and took off into the air.

"Odd, don't do anything stupid." Yumi pulled her fans from the bow on her back.

"It's me, Yumi."

"That's why I said don't do anything stupid!" Yumi got closer to the Tarantulas and they opened fire. She used her fans to block the lasers.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at the Tarantula's and missed.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and missed.

"Something is coming from behind you!" Jeremie saw the circle on the map and didn't know what it was. "It's not the Kolossus."

"It's a black mist." Odd fired at it but the arrows passed through it. "I can't hurt it!" Odd fired more but they only passed through the black mist.

"Keep Aelita safe!" Jeremie yelled into the microphone, and Aelita's heart soared, only to fall again. "We can't deactivate the Tower without her."

"That's not the only reason you want to keep me safe, is it?" Aelita created an energy orb as the black mist neared the group. Jeremie's silence said more than any words could. "Energy Field!" She threw the energy orb at the black mist and it passed through.

"We still have these guys to worry about!" Yumi flew around the Tarantulas on the Overwing, blocking lasers with her fans or just dodging them.

"Aelita, Yumi, focus on the Tarantulas. Odd, you fight the black mist or whatever it is." Jeremie waited to find out what the black mist was.

-( ( • ) )-

The black mist swirled over the Sector and a beam of light shot down from the sky above it. From the light a new monster appeared. It had a rather human-shaped black head with three horns protruding from it, and one glowing white eye with a red band level with it going around the head. It seemed to have shoulders, however everything from them down was covered by huge black wings. Ten blades protruded from the small opening where the wings met. It flared its wings out to reveal a slightly human torso, with ribs showing through and a blood red Eye of Xana on its sternum. On its abdomen, two large semicircles were cut out from the sides, and instead of legs it had six black flaps somewhat like a soldier's cloth base. The blades were at the ends of its humanlike fingers where nails should be. As a warning, it fired a continuous laser into the ground from its eyes, quickly carving an Eye of Xana, and slashed its claws at Odd.

"Hello, Odd Della Robbia."

Odd gasped. _It talks? _

"Surrender now." the monster droned in a mechanical voice.

"No way, Xana!" Odd fired Laser Arrows out of both gloves, but the new monster dodged them easily, doing flips, cartwheels, and other acrobatic moves, plus utilizing its wings. It seemed to levitate from invisible legs.

"Yes, Odd Della Robbia. It is fruitless to deny Xana. Without Franz Hopper, you have lost. Become like William Dunbar did so you may live." It got closer to Odd as it dodged his Laser Arrows.

"Got it!" Aelita finally hit and destroyed a Tarantula. Only then did she turn to see how Odd was doing, and saw the monster get closer to him. "Odd!" She flew down to him.

"Aelita! Watch out!" Yumi's warning was too late, and Aelita was hit by a laser from the Tarantula. She divebombed to the ground below.

The new monster saw this and moved away from Odd to go after Aelita. "Leave the Princess alone!" He ran after the monster, firing Laser Arrows.

"They'll take care of it. Yumi, focus on the Tarantula." Jeremie watched the screen. "Aelita. You have sixty life points left."

"Okay." Aelita hatched an idea. She ran away from the monster and the activated Tower. It floated after her.

Yumi screamed her war cry and threw her fans at the Tarantula and cut an arm, but missed the Eye. The Tarantula fired from its one good arm and hit the Overwing. Yumi sprung off and caught her fans in midair, then spun around, throwing them at the Tarantula. She hit the Eye this time and destroys it.

-( ( • ) )-

On Earth, Ulrich was getting tired and was starting to lose to Sissi. "Xana, why not make this a fair fight?"

"How? Leave this girl? I think not." Sissi kicked Ulrich hard in the side. Ulrich grabbed her leg and pulled on it tripping Sissi.

"Well, that would be a nice thing for you to do." Ulrich backed away as Sissi gets back up.

"Never." Sissi lunged at Ulrich, knocking him down to the floor. They wrestled and grappled with each other.

-( ( • ) )-

On Lyoko the monster got closer to Aelita. She saw that the path she was would end and got ready. She stopped at the very edge. The monster got closer and was about to attack her. "Aelita!" Odd fired Laser Arrows at the monster but misses.

"Aelita!" Yumi saw the monster ram into her and knock her off the edge of the path. "Odd! Shoot her!"

"Trying!" Odd dashed to the edge and fired Laser Arrows, but missed.

"Odd, stop!" Aelita passed her hand over her watch and her wings formed as the monster pathetically tried to catch up with her. Aelita shot up over the Sector and flew to the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich and Sissi wrestled and grappled, getting hot, sweaty, rubbing against each other. Sissi sparked with energy and pinned Ulrich. "You can't defeat me, Ulrich!" She raised her right fist and it sparked with energy.

"Tower deactivated." The binary screens fell around Aelita.

"Whoa." Sissi shook her head. "What's going on?" She saw Ulrich and realized she had him pinned and straddled. "What are we doing?"

"I don't know." Ulrich smiled. "But I don't think it matters."

"Why?" Sissi smiled back, but then frowned. "What did we do? What did you do to me? Why can't I remember coming here?" She leaned down.

"It won't matter."

"Return to the past now!" Jeremie launched a return. The white bubble came up reversing time.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita found herself in the Control Room. _The return bugged up! It only went back a few minutes?_

"Uh oh." Odd saw Aelita and Yumi. "I'm guessing we didn't go back as far as we should have."

"No, Odd, we didn't."

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich was in the gym wondering why they didn't go back to an earlier time.

Sissi found herself outside not sure how she got there. "My head hurts." She could feel a headache coming on.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie was even more worried. He got his cell phone out and called Aelita. She didn't answer as she didn't have her phone on her at the time to which they returned. He called Yumi next. "Yumi, where are you?"

"At the Factory, with Odd and Aelita. Why didn't you send us back farther?"

"I tried. The return program must be damaged or something."

"Well...um, I guess Aelita could look at it."

"Yes. She could." Jeremie hung up.

Yumi shoved her mobile back in her pocket. "Jeremie says the return program is damaged. That's why we didn't go back as far as we should have."

"I'll check it out." Aelita sat down in the computer chair.

"You sure you don't want to go back and change?" Aelita then just realized she was still in just her robe.

"During the day? I'll wait for curfew to go back so no one can see me." Aelita started to get to work.

"Want us to stay?" Before Aelita could respond to Odd's question, Yumi walked over to the elevator. "Okay, want me to stay?"

"It's okay, Odd. I should be safe. Xana won't attack this soon." Aelita looked away. _Please go away._

"If you say so, Princess. Wait up, Yumi!" Odd ran onto the elevator and took it up with Yumi.

-( ( • ) )-

That night, Aelita realized she could be in real trouble. After curfew, in just a robe too! If caught by Jim or another teacher she would be in trouble. And as she walked into the dorm, she found a surprise waiting.

"Aelita Stones!" She turned around and saw Jim with Mr. Delmas. "Just what do you think you're doing?!"

"I, um, I,"

"There you are!" Alex appeared.

"Alex Du'Rona! What are you doing after curfew and on the women's floor?" Alex blinked at Mr. Delmas.

"Odd asked me to check on Aelita, he was already in bed and half undressed when I came out from the shower. He just had his door wide open, and he saw me, came out from his room and told me what happened." Alex turned to Aelita with a look of concern. "Aelita, I'm sorry about your mom, but Odd said she would be okay." He patted her shoulder.

"Huh?" She stared at him.

"He said the police said the accident was bad, but he also said the doctors said she would recover. You didn't have to go running off like that, we were worried." Alex's medium spring eyes met her bottle green.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Aelita caught on to what Odd must have told Alex, and wiped her eyes with her arm, trying to put pressure on them and make them tear up. "I didn't want anyone to see me crying. I was so scared."

"It's okay, Aelita, I'm sure Aunt Tia-" Aelita tilted her head at Alex.

"Antea?" Mr. Delmas thought. "Why does that name sound familiar?" Aelita kept looking at Alex, shaking her head a little. _How much did Odd actually tell him?_

"What?" Alex shook his head. "Aunt Tia." He enunciated more. "That's what Odd called her so that's what I called her. Anyways Aelita, it's okay. Odd said the doctors said she would be okay after she recovers." Alex patted her shoulder again, and ventures a hug.

"But what if she doesn't?" Aelita hugged Alex back, rubbing her soft arms against his tough muscle. "I'm still so scared for her! I want to be there but they said I should stay here."

"I'm sorry, Aelita. Let me know if you need anything." They let go. "Um, sorry for being up after curfew, Mr. Delmas, but I was worried about her. I called her but she didn't answer."

"I don't have my phone on me. After, after Daddy called," Aelita closed her eyes and pretended to try and hold tears back.

"It's ok Aelita, Alex. Family is important, and while I'm a bit disappointed in Odd for not giving the message himself, it was good of you to be there for your friend." Mr. Delmas patted Alex on the shoulder. "I'll let this infraction go this time. But you both need to be getting to bed." The two nodded.

"Aelita, if you ever need to talk to someone I'm always available. I once worked for a psychiatrist. Well, actually I was part of an experiment where-" Mr. Delmas cut Jim off.

"Jim, it's late. We don't have time."

"Oh, right, Mr. Delmas. Well, I'll escort Alex to his room." Jim and Alex walked away as Aelita enters her room.


	4. Episode 125: Civil War

The group was fighting fiercely. Odd and Aelita stuck together, of course, but the others were against them and their ideas.

"We don't need him!" Ulrich clenched his hands into fists. "William is out!"

"I can't believe you're still jealous of him!" Odd snarled, getting up in Ulrich's face. "The more Warriors we have, the easier it will be to stop Xana! He helped on the Cortex, and it was Laura's fault he got repossessed! And he saved your life!"

"We stopped Xana before, except your 'cousin' let him out!"

"Don't act like she isn't your friend! She is our friend and we should have helped her from the beginning!"

"She shouldn't have turned the Super Computer back on!" This time Jeremie yelled. "I told her not to and she still did!"

"If you had helped her, maybe she would have known it was Xana and not her father!" Odd spat.

"She had to know! Franz Hopper is _dead_!" Jeremie shot back.

"No, _he __**isn't!**_"Aelita screamed at the top of her lungs. "If Xana is still alive, _then so is he!_" The rest of the five-warrior group cringed as Aelita started to cry. "He has to be alive! I know he is."

"Even if he is, he has to be so weak that he can't help us." Jeremie pushed on the bridge of his glasses.

"But William can." Odd pointed at the computer screen. "He is a Lyoko Warrior just like us. But it looks right now he's able to be possessed because he isn't resistant after being possessed for so long! If he gets some time on Lyoko with us he'll be every bit as resistant as us."

"He was possessed and became Xana's Avatar first time he was on Lyoko. We don't need that again." Yumi looked over at Ulrich. "We may have let him back in before, but that was a bad choice. He got possessed because of Laura, whether he saved Ulrich before or not. Don't get me wrong, I like William, he's a great guy. But he might still have some sort of connection to Xana. Don't forget that weird Scyphozoa that went after him, the one that stayed connected to him ."

"Yeah, and we have no idea what he can or will do. He's probably still a horrible warrior, he's barely able to handle a Tarantula." Ulrich grunted, but Odd laughed. "What?!"

"Our first time against a Tarantula, we lost, all of us. If William is able to damage it in any way, then he's doing better then us." Odd pointed out. Ulrich scowled at Odd.

"Well, we outvote you. It has to be unanimous."

"And we don't care! Come on, Aelita." Odd went over to the elevator and Aelita followed.

-( ( • ) )-

As he and Aelita went up to the Factory floor, Odd got his cell phone out.

"What are you doing, Odd?"

"Calling William."

"But they voted no."

"I don't care. We need help, and the better we do when Xana is weak, the better chance we have of winning. They should be happy I haven't gone and tried to virtualize the other kids our group, Alex, Theo, Emily, Starla and Sissi. We could have an army against Xana. But it's just William, he was already one of us." The phone began to ring. "Hey, William, what's up?"

"Are you finally calling me in?"

"What?" Odd wondered aloud, confused.

"Xana, he's back, are you finally calling me in?"

"But, how did you know?"

"He possessed me. Do you really think I wouldn't notice? Going from my room to the Factory?"

"Um, amnesia from hitting your head?" Odd offered.

"No. It was Xana. How long have you been fighting him?"

"Not long. Well, the Princess has been fighting him a lot longer. She did it on her own but then we found out."

"So what's the attack?"

"Xana isn't attacking. We had a fight, Aelita and I want you in but the others don't. Right now we don't care what they want."

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter. William, the next time Xana attacks, either Aelita or I will call you."

"Okay."

Before Odd hung up he had one last question. "Why didn't you tell us that you knew?"

"Because. If you didn't want me in the group I wasn't going to force my way in. If I wasn't wanted, then, well, I wasn't wanted."

"Trust me, we want you in the group. The more help we have, the better." Odd and William hung up.

"He knew?" Odd nodded. "Well, that makes it easier for us."

"Yes, it does, Princess. Shall your Knight escort you home?"

"Yes, my Knight shall." Odd and Aelita laughed as they left the Factory for Kadic Academy.

-( ( • ) )-

Xana watched and waited for Aelita to go into her room before launching his attack.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie and the others were walking back to Kadic Academy when Jeremie's laptop started to beep. "Super Scan." Jeremie and the others stopped as he slung his bag off his shoulder and gently pulled out the computer. "Ice Sector. Someone call Aelita and Odd." Jeremie turned around and started to walk back to the Factory.

"Why don't you call them?" Jeremie didn't answer Ulrich's question and kept going.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita was changing for bed when a black mist appeared. As she pulled her sleep shirt over her head, it moved to the window. She got the shirt on just in time for the window to shatter. Aelita screamed and grabbed her face as glass shards rained into her room, cutting her.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd's phone rang. "Ulrich?"

"Xana's attacking, get Aelita and get to the Factory now." Ulrich hung up before Odd could respond.

"Don't have to be rude." Odd put his phone away and hurried up to the girls' dorm floor.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita screamed and made it to the door as the black mist flew across the room, tearing things apart. A book slammed into the back of her right knee, which buckled from the impact. She hit her chin on the doorknob and saw stars and swirly patterns dance in her vision as she fell to the ground.

Odd got to Aelita's room and heard a strange array of sounds. He pushed the door open and hit Aelita with it. "Aelita!" Odd pushed his way into the room and saw a bed sheet wrapped around her. It started to pull her towards the window all by itself.

"Leave her alone!" Odd leapt and grabbed Aelita's ankle. "Aelita!" A CD case flung itself from a shelf, breaking, and glass cut his arm, but he ignored it.

"Odd!" Aelita screamed in both pain and panic. She didn't know where Xana would take her and Odd yanking on her leg felt like he was going to rip it out of the socket.

"Xana, let her go!" Odd pulled hard and Xana relaxed the bed sheet. Aelita flew out and crashed into Odd. Their heads were close together, and she blushed and pulled away.

"Let me get dressed. Can't be running around in just my shirt." Aelita stammered. Odd started to leave. "No, if Xana comes back, I'll need help. Um...just turn around." Odd did so and waited for Aelita to change.

Soon the two were headed for the Factory and were looking out for any black mists or other signs of Xana attacks.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie was sitting in the computer chair looking at the on-screen map of Carthage. "I think I found the Tower. It's in Sector 5, so I should be able to virtualize you close to the Tower. You'll have to make your way to there from the Arena, but at least there's no key to trip." Jeremie zoomed in on the Arena and mentally traced the path the Lyoko Warriors would probably have to take.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita and Odd arrived at the sewer entrance then stopped. "Do you have your phone?"

"Yeah, why?"

"We need to call William. I almost forgot about him." Odd pulled his cell phone out and dialed William's number.

"Guess what?"

"Xana's attacking?"

"You got it." Odd hung up. "We should wait for him." Odd sat down on the grass.

"Why?"

"If we tell the others about William without him being there, they might refuse to send him. They're still pretty sore." Aelita sat down next to Odd but worried about Xana's attack. It could change into anything, she knew.

-( ( • ) )-

Jim was marching to the dorm building after a report of a wild party in a dorm room. He was rounding a corner when he saw William run out of the dorm building. "If he's going out to get more party supplies he's about to be surprised." Jim followed William into the woods.

William saw the other two waiting for him. "Thanks, guys."

"Come on, William, we have to hurry." Odd, Aelita, and William disappeared into the sewer.

Jim came around a tree. "Where'd he go?" He looked around for a little bit then headed back to the school.

-( ( • ) )-

Xana waited for the three headed for the Factory. William was leading and pushed against the sewer cover. Xana sent a black mist and slammed it back into place, knocking William down on top of the other two.

"What was that!?" Odd shrieked as William crawled off of him.

"Something hit the cover."

"Xana. If we can't get out here, we will have to go somewhere else." Aelita started to worry and bit a nail. Without her on Lyoko the gang couldn't stop the attack.

"Let me try." Odd ascended the ladder and slowly pushed against the sewer cover. He slid it slowly, and nothing happened. "Come on." Odd climbed out and screamed.

"Odd!" Aelita and William clambered up as fast as they can. A black mist was floating around Odd, choking him. "Xana, you can't possess him!"

"But he can possess me." William backed away from the black mist. "I'm going to the Factory to get virtualized." He turned and ran across the bridge.

"Leave him alone!" Aelita dashed to Odd and swung her arms at the mist, but couldn't do anything to it. She grabbed Odd's arm and pulled on it, dragging him to the bridge as the black mist continued its attack.

"Ae-" Odd coughed, "Aelita." Odd choked and coughed as the black mist continued to suffocate him. "Run."

"Never, Odd, you wouldn't leave me behind!" Aelita kicked at the black mist but her foot passed through it. "Please, Xana, leave him alone!" Tears formed in her eyes as Odd's face turned red, then purple.

-( ( • ) )-

William took the elevator down to the Control Room. "Jeremie, Xana's attacking Odd!"

"What are you doing here!?" Ulrich climbed off the floor and pushed William back into the elevator. "How do we know you're not possessed?!" He pushed William again.

"Because I'm telling you what the attack is! Look at my eyes, and see there's no sign of Xana! We need to help him and Aelita, come on." William looked at Yumi. "Please."

"We're coming." Yumi entered the elevator with William and Ulrich. It took them up to the Factory floor where they heard screaming.

"Leave her alone!" The black mist had left Odd and attacked Aelita. "Xana, attack me, coward! Leave her alone!"

"Aelita!" Ulrich and Yumi ran off to help but William backed away, fearful of being possessed yet again. Ulrich and Yumi climbed the ropes up to the bridge and ran to Odd and Aelita.

"What do we do?" Yumi watched the black mist, unsure how to make it leave Aelita.

"Forget it, we need to carry her to the elevator." Odd grabbed a leg as Ulrich grabbed Aelita's arm. Yumi took hold of the other arm and finally noticed William wasn't there. "William, where are you?!"

"He probably stayed away." Odd had heard William earlier. "Xana can possess him, but not us. Probably why he went to get you guys." The three lifted and carried Aelita to the Factory entrance.

"Now what?" Yumi looked down. "It's a long fall and she obviously can't swing on the ropes."

"I'll go down and catch her." Ulrich jumped and swung down. "Hurry, who knows how long she'll last!"

"Don't drop her!" Odd and Yumi carefully lowered Aelita over the edge and let go. A thumping sound rose to their ears from the lower floor.

"Are you okay, Ulrich?" Yumi jumped and swung down.

"I think so." Ulrich had strained his back but had caught Aelita, or at least broken her fall, and both were sprawled on the ground. "Please help me up." Yumi did so as Odd swung down.

"We better hurry." Odd grabbed the same leg he had earlier as the other two grabbed Aelita's arms and carried her over to the elevator. William had already gone down and sent it back up, having no plans to be anywhere near the black mist.

The three took it down and helped Aelita into a Scanner. "Send her now, Jeremie!" Yumi proclaimed. The Scanner doors closed and the black mist escaped, hovering out to attack Ulrich.

"We're going to have to do this one by one." Yumi pushed Ulrich into a Scanner and braced herself for an attack.

"Wait!" William climbed down the ladder and ran to another Scanner. He turned around just in time to see the black mist exit Ulrich's Scanner and attack Yumi. "No!" He pushed her into the last Scanner, and jumped back into the one he had been in. The Scanner doors closed, leaving Xana with one last target.

-( ( • ) )-

"Scanner William! Scanner Yumi! Virtualization!" William's card, now with his very first outfit on Lyoko since he had been purified, filled in alongside Yumi's usual card. Jeremie watched the map of Sector 5 and waited for Ulrich, who was Super-Sprinting, to get near the Tower. "Do you see it?"

"Yes, Jeremie, with your version of Sector 5 it didn't take long." Ulrich unsheathed his swords. "No monsters yet."

"Xana's probably waiting for Aelita." Jeremie materialized the Overvehicles near Ulrich, and they waited, but not for long. Jeremie was attacked by the black mist. The others heard him choking but there was nothing they could do.

"We have to hurry." Aelita, with Yumi, Odd and William, ran in and saw the Tower as two Creepers crawled out from their crevaces. "We have to save Jeremie." Aelita jumped on the Overwing. She nearly screamed when William, rather than Yumi, mounted the vehicle behind her.

"Are you okay, Aelita?" William had noticed her reaction.

"I'm fine, sorry." Aelita took off for the Tower as Yumi got on the Overbike with Ulrich and Odd used the Overboard alone.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie passed out and the black mist hovered over the keyboard, pushing keys.

-( ( • ) )-

As the Lyoko Warriors flew around the Creepers, the Overvehicles all dematerialized one at a time. As each Warrior fell, they let out a scream, falling to the Sector floor. The Creepers focused on Yumi, devirtualizing her before she could recover.

"Super Sprint!" Ulrich charged at a Creeper, dodging lasers.

"Shield!" Odd jumped in front of Aelita, blocking their blasts. "Princess, if we rush them, do you think you can make it?"

"I think so." She waved her left hand over her watch and her wings appeared. "William, are you ready?"

"I'm ready." William lifted his Zweihander. His memories of being possessed by Xana flooded to him, but he shook them off just as he was hit by a laser. "Come on, Xana, show me what you got!" He ran at a Creeper with his sword out, blocking attacks.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi climbed up the ladder and saw the black mist still typing. "What is it doing?" She looked at the screen but didn't understand anything being written. "Jeremie would recognize it." She ran over to him and shook him, trying to wake him up.

-( ( • ) )-

On Lyoko, Aelita waited for her chance.

"Watch out!" Yumi put the headset on and yelled into it. "Xana is sending more monsters!"

"Where?" Aelita turned around and saw three Mantas. "Energy Field!" She threw an orb of pink plasma and hit one, destroying it.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd focused on the Mantas as Ulrich and William handled the Creepers.

"Ulrich, can't you make clones?" William neared closer to a Creeper as Ulrich ran around another.

"Yeah, Triangulate!" Ulrich split apart and confused the Creeper. One Ulrich cut its tail, another slashed its arm and the third deflected lasers. "What about you? What are your powers aside from Super Smoke and Levitation?"

"I don't know, except that Sonic Dash when I destroyed this place," William remembered what he could do under Xana's control, his Tower Control and Second Sight, but had no idea what kind of powers he had on his own aside from those three, "But I don't need any special tricks!" He pulled his Zweihander back and threw it as hard as he could, and it pierced the Creeper through the chest. It missed the Eye but didn't need to hit it, as the Zweihander had done enough damage.

"A little help, please!" Aelita screamed out as she and Odd battled the Mantas, which circled around firing lasers.

"Laser Arrow!"

"Energy Field!"

"We got this." Ulrich and his clones closed in on the Tarantula, destroying it, and they leapt up onto the Mantas. "Impact!" Ghostly white Manta gibs scattered and flickered, disappearing.

"Thanks." Aelita flew to the activated Tower, landing inside. She stood on the center ring and flew to the second platform. She pressed her hand against the panel, entering the code, and the binary screens adorning the Tower walls fell around her. "Tower deactivated."

"Aelita, there's a bunch of information on the screen. Xana was using the keyboard for something. I can't wake Jeremie up, so could you come here and look at it?" Yumi still had the headset on.

"Sure. But we need to send everyone back now." Aelita left the Tower. "We need to go back, but Jeremie can't bring us back."

"Oh." Ulrich raised his swords and his clones followed suit. "I'll do it." One struck William, another slashed Odd, and the original pierced Aelita. The three turned to one another and slashed simultaneously, sending Ulrich back to Earth as well.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita read the code lines on the screen. "H-He was looking at the multi agent program Jeremie made. I...I can't imagine why. What if he wants to use it to eliminate my father? Or even destroy us next time we go to Lyoko?" Odd went over and hugged her.

"That won't happen, Aelita."

"Whatever." Jeremie scoffed, awake now. "You can read it over." Jeremie entered the elevator. "Homework, dinner, stuff."

Aelita ran over to Jeremie to ask him for help. "Can you help me make sure he didn't change anything?"

Jeremie mumbled something too quiet for the others to hear, and she walked away, surprised. Ulrich, Yumi, and William followed Jeremie and left the Factory, as did Odd, but not before looking back at Aelita, who stared at the screen with a blank expression.

_How could he say he wished he never found the Super Computer? That...that'd mean I never would be on Earth, and I would be good as dead...he wants me dead?_

-( ( • ) )-

Odd and Ulrich were in Alex's room, playing Galactic Invaders 4, surrounded by various movie, band and promotional game posters and a few shelves of discs, both gaming and musical. Odd and Ulrich wore their pajamas, and Alex wore a casually unbuttoned green shirt with a white V-neck, blue jeans and his combat boots.

"I still can't believe Galactic Invaders 4 came out and I didn't even notice!" Odd marveled as his character raised a plasma rifle and blasted a computer player on Alex's not-good-not-bad HDTV.

"I must've told you about it at least three times, Odd, you're just too busy blaring your stupid music all the time to notice. You'd think after that one incident you'd learn." Ulrich referenced the time Xana had used music to threaten the world, losing his focus long enough for Alex to throw a disintegration grenade and destroy his character.

"Haha!" Alex pumped a fist.

"Aw, come on!" Ulrich growled.

"I really need to buy a Z-ramid Infinity sometime..." Odd sighed wistfully, imagining the game system which had taken a page from the Egyptians' book in shape. A door slamming open interrupted his daydream, or rather evening-dream.

"Just who do you think you are?" Jeremie's voice was shrill as a few CDs fell off their shelves and clattered on the ground.

"Aw, man, my Incadescense album and Fatal Konflict!" Alex paused the game and crouched down to gather the discs. "What's your problem, anyway?"

"Odd! He's my problem!" Jeremie stormed over. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Playing Galactic Invaders 4?" Odd offered, grinning a fake grin.

"Not that! With Aelita!"

"Your cousin?" Ulrich faked a gasp to keep Alex from getting suspicious.

"I saw you hug her in the computer lab and I saw the way you looked at her! You think just because we're having a fight you can move in and swoop her away?!" Jeremie screamed, jabbing a finger into Odd's chest.

"In Odd's defense, it's perfectly normal to hug his cousin." Alex tried to calm Jeremie.

"Yeah, just put yourself in Odd's shoes, stinky as they may be." Ulrich offered a joke to distract the raging nerd.

"Shut up! You two don't have anything to do with this!" Jeremie glared at Alex and Ulrich and turned his sights back to Odd. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Um...she's not actually your girlfriend?" Odd couldn't think of anything better.

"I can't believe how _**stupid **_you are!" Jeremie yelled. He punched Odd and ran out of the room.

"Hey, what the heck is wrong with you?" Alex shouted after Jeremie. "You can't just barge into my room and punch Odd like that!"

"Come on, let's get you to the infirmary and have the nurse look at that nosebleed. We'll tell her I won so I pumped my fist or something and accidentally hit you in the face. We don't want to make things worse." Ulrich helped Odd out of the room.

"I'll come with you." Alex put the Z-ramid to sleep and got up to accompany them.

"No, no, that's fine. Stay here and get those CDs picked up, we can finish the game tomorrow evening." Odd waved one hand dismissively, using the other to cover his bloodied nose.


	5. Episode 126: Reconciliation

Aelita and Odd were alone. Not physically, for people were all around them. But the others had turned on them. Aelita had apologized, as did Odd, but no one was listening. Of course, Alex, Starla, Emily, Theo and Sissi would listen to her, but they didn't know what had happened at the Factory, so they didn't really count to her.

Aelita had felt even worse than she did when the team was mad at her for reactivating the Super Computer. She was so mad at Jeremie for his comment, and was so hurt. But she knew she still loved him after what happened. She knew that if she didn't love him, it wouldn't hurt so much to have him mad at her. She had avoided Odd and tried to let Jeremie know, but he had paid her no mind.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd slammed his head against the wall by the vending machine. He had messed things up with everyone. He had thought maybe Aelita would still be friends with him but she was avoiding him like the plague. Ulrich may have helped him get to the infirmary but beyond that, he would have nothing to do with Odd. He played Galactic Invaders 4 with Alex and Odd the night after the incident, as he had promised the former, who also was uncomfortable around Odd since he had been the one to bring about Jeremie's breaking the athlete's CDs by slamming his door. One stupid moment had ruined everything. Odd only had Kiwi left.

He and Kiwi were later walking together in the woods near the Hermitage. "You're a good diggety dog. You're not mad at me." Odd watched as Kiwi sniffed at the Hermitage fence.

-( ( • ) )-

Xana activated a Tower and sent out a ghost just as Aelita was going to the Factory to work on the Super Computer.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie heard his laptop beep. "Xana's attacking, I better...no." He closed the Super Scan. "I don't care." He murmured as he went back to his homework.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd waited as Kiwi peed on a tree. He heard Kiwi yelp. "What's wrong Kiwi?" He leaned over Kiwi, who was shaking on the ground. "Kiwi!" He went to pick the dog up but Kiwi got back up on his own and nipped at him.

"What was that for?" The dog's eyes sparked with energy. "Xana!" Odd backed away as Kiwi started to grow in size. Soon he was the size of a wolf, but simply kept growing. Odd screamed and ran away as Kiwi grew to a size even taller than the Della Robbia boy.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita made it to the Factory and took the elevator down to the Control Room, where she heard the Super Scan beeping. "Xana's attacking! Just my luck!" She pulled her cell phone out and called Jeremie but he didn't answer. She sent him an SOS XANA message immediately after, but he didn't respond despite his reading it.

"You can't ignore this no matter how mad you are, we can't endanger the world!" She screamed to nobody in particular in frustration. She called Odd this time, and he answered. "Odd! Xana's attacking, get to the Factory."

"I know he's attacking! He got Kiwi!" Aelita heard a loud bark through the speaker.

"Hurry, Odd, Jeremie won't answer." Aelita called Ulrich, who didn't answer either. She sent him an SOS XANA but he still didn't respond. She tried Yumi next but she too didn't answer. "No, they can't be doing this. Xana is too dangerous to be acting like this!" She moaned as she began to dial their numbers again.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd saw the sewer entrance. He dashed and dropped down as Kiwi jumped at and over him, sliding to a stop by the manhole. Odd grabbed hold of it and threw it at the possessed dog. "Sorry, Kiwi!" Kiwi managed to catch the plate between his teeth, bite through it, and swallow as the remainder of the plate clattered to the ground. He was ready for another bite of something fleshier and pounced at Odd, but the scrawny boy threw himself down the sewer. Kiwi tried to crawl inside, but wouldn't fit. He squirmed his head in and barked at Odd below. "Be a good boy, Kiwi." Odd took off on his skate board.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita was about to give up, and was calling William one last time when he answered. "Aelita?"

"Xana is attacking. Please, get here as soon as you can."

"Okay, Aelita." He hung up and got up off the rec room couch to go.

"What are you doing?" Ulrich asked beside Yumi.

"Xana's attacking. We have to go to the Factory."

"We aren't going." Ulrich shook his head.

"But, Xana, we have to go." Yumi looked back and forth between Ulrich and William. "You can stay. I'm not letting the others down. Xana is too dangerous for that." Yumi moved her bag and got ready to get up.

"What others? We are the others. You won't be letting anyone down." Ulrich quipped.

"I'm sorry, Ulrich." William ran outside. Before he even made it all the way out, Ulrich and Yumi started to argue.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd was taking the sewers, but Kiwi couldn't fit, so he took off across the school grounds, barking wildly. Jim was looking for the source of the dog barks and found Kiwi, the size of an ox. "Buh, buh, but, buh..." Jim stammered as Kiwi shot past.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd dismounted his skateboard at the end of the sewer passage. He climbed out, thinking he was safe, but in front of him on the bridge was Kiwi. "Good doggy." Odd backed away, toward the street behind him. "Want to play fetch?" Odd looked around for a stick or something similar. "Be a good dog, Kiwi." Odd stepped over the curb, not expecting it, and fell. Kiwi dahsed down the bridge, barking furiously. "No, bad dog, sit!" Odd shielded his face with his arms as Kiwi's jaws lashed at him.

-( ( • ) )-

William climbed out of the sewer and noticed the giant ox-sized dog accompanied by screams. "Xana, leave him alone!" Kiwi dropped a bruised and bleeding Odd and turned to William. "Um, but leave me alone." He backed away as Kiwi stared at him hungrily and trotted in his direction.

Aelita, on a whim, brought up the security cameras and saw the situation. "I have to help them." She ran to the elevator and hammered the 'Up' button with her fist.

"Be a good dog...rat...thing." William heard a thump and glanced behind him, taking note that he was only a few meters from the edge of the top floor. There Aelita stood barefoot. "Aelita! What are you doing!?"

"Helping." Aelita pushed past William and waited on one side of the bridge. "Kiwi, come here, Kiwi." Aelita looked past Kiwi at the hurt Odd, who was struggling to get up. "William, if this works, go and help Odd."

"If what works?" William watched Aelita climb on to the bridge supports. "Aelita!" She was perched lackadaisically on the supports, arms outstretched, singing a little tune consisting of 'tra-la-la' repeated over and over.

Then, she turned to the Xanafied dog, freezing all movement but those of her mouth. "Kiwi, come here, Kiwi. Come on, Kiwi." Kiwi lunged towards Aelita and released a noise somewhere between a roar and a bark, and she dove gracefully off the bridge insouciantly, as though it was the easiest thing in the world. Kiwi slammed into the supports and his head was stuck between two girders. Aelita landed in the water making a dainty splash, and swam to the staircase on the waterfront. She climbed up, soaking wet. William held Odd and dragged him across the bridge, causing Odd to moan and complain in agony.

"William, hurry." Aelita caught up to him, passing a struggling Xana-Kiwi. She helped William with Odd, and managed to get him to grab a rope. William slowly shimmied down the nearest rope to Odd's, helping him maintain a grip to minimize pain and prevent rope burn on his scratched-up hands. Aelita swung down next to them to catch Odd, and they managed to get Odd by the elevator. The sound of Kiwi utterly destroying the part of the supports he was caught in rang out.

"We need to get him to Lyoko!" William roughly pushed Odd in and smashed the down button. The garage door closed as Kiwi leapt down a floor, and slammed in, denting it. He slams himself against it again, busting a small hole, but the elevator went down before he could bust a hole big enough for him to enter. William pulled Odd out and began to drag him to the middle Scanner, but Kiwi, assisted by Xana, ghosted through the ceiling.

"Aelita, I, I'll distract him." William stammered.

"Be careful, William, we need you and can't bring you back if Kiwi fatally wounds you. We can't afford to lose you, both against Xana and emotionally." Aelita got Odd to walk the last few steps as William dodged a lunge from Kiwi.

She helped Odd into the middle Scanner. "I especially can't lose you, Odd." She hurried to the ladder and took it up. William ran into the elevator and pressed the button. Kiwi sprung at him, and William ducked and rolled out. The doors closed and took Kiwi to the top floor.

"Man, that hurt." His arm had a large wound down the side, and he could tell the bones were either cracked, fractured or dislocated. He quickly entered the left Scanner.

"Transfer Odd, Transfer William, Scanner Odd, Scanner William, and virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Forest Sector. She sent the vehicles then started up the delayed virtualization. She started to take the ladder just as the elevator came down and Kiwi rushed out. Aelita let go and landed in the Scanner room, spraining her ankle as Kiwi barked. She could feel his drool land on her shoulder as she limped to the rightmost Scanner just before the doors closed.

-( ( • ) )-

"Odd!" Aelita yelled just as her wireframe filled in and she could speak. "Are you okay?"

He nodded with a laugh. "Kiwi is getting some doggy breath mints when I get back." He looked around. "No one else made it?"

"No one else would come." William sighed as he looked at the vehicles. "I guess the Overbike is mine again." He swung a leg over and revved the engine.

"Overboard is mine!" Odd ran and hopped onto it. "Woohoo!" He took off at a tree and the Overboard turned vertical, dashing up the trunk!

"Odd! Don't hurt yourself." Aelita chided from the Overwing. "We need to get going before Kiwi does some real damage." She took off, and the boys followed.

-( ( • ) )-

Jim was wandering back to the school, mumbling, babbling, and stammering. Ms. Hertz saw him and strode over. "Jim, I was wondering if we could reschedule my dance lesson." Jim walked by, ignoring her. "Jim? What's wrong, Jim?" She grabbed his arm concernedly.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Jim kept going.

-( ( • ) )-

On Lyoko, Aelita and the other two approached the activated Tower and its guards. "Tarantulas and that thing." Xana's new monster was there. Its wings flared out momentarily as if it was stretching them.

"Like an Angel of Darkness." Aelita and William stare at Odd, expecting something more catchy or even humorous. "It's the best I got. I'm tired of naming all of Xana's pets. Call it a Dark Angel for short if you want." Odd dove at the Dark Angel, firing laser arrows. The monster easily floated to the left, dodging them.

"I'll go after the Tarantulas." William veered around the Dark Angel and Odd.

"We both will." Aelita was ready to fight. "Energy Field!" She launched the energy orb at a Tarantula and hit it. William charged the other Tarantula, dodging lasers. He pulled his Zweihander out and held it like a lance.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired off-course from the Dark Angel on purpose, hoping it would dodge right into an arrow. It started to, but figured out his game and hovered back.

William used his free hand to steer around more lasers as he neared the Tarantula. With his Zweihander still out, he charged at it.

Back at Kadic Academy, Kiwi made his return. People panicked and screamed as he barked and ran around, knocking vending machines and slower kids over. He barreled through a gazebo and it splintered apart.

"Got it!" William ran the Tarantula through; it struggled, then exploded, leaving the Dark Angel behind, which, in turn, was proving to be more than enough.

"Shield!" Odd blocked the Dark Angel and pushed it away. "Laser Arrow!" He fired more but the Dark Angel kept jerking away from them.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb, but missed the Dark Angel. William drove the Overbike towards the Dark Angel, hoping to condemn it to the same fate the Tarantula had received, but the monster was too agile and darted to the side.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi and Ulrich were hiding in the rec room. Sissi burst in and slammed the door behind her, her hair soaked and black dye dripping from her scalp. She screamed in panic and darted behind the couch. "What is that thing!?"

"I don't know." Ulrich peeked over the couch and saw Kiwi through a window. "Kiwi?" He ducked behind the couch again. "We should have gone." he admitted.

"I know." Yumi bit on a nail in worry.

-( ( • ) )-

The Dark Angel turned to William and blasted lasers from its claws, dematerializing the Overbike and taking a few Life Points from its target. He leapt off and tried to fight the new monster, but it was so agile, he couldn't even touch it. He swung the Zweihander hard, but the Dark Angel jerked upwards. It landed on the blade, its underside touching the flat, and glided down it, swinging its claws. William was quickly devirtualized and sent back to Earth.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw and missed.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd missed as well.

"Surrender now, Odd Della Robbia." The monster floated under an energy orb and sprung at Odd.

"Shield!" The Dark Angel slammed into the shield and pushed Odd over, trying to claw through.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and hit the monster from behind. It exploded and Odd lowered his defense.

"Great job, Princess." She flew down on the Overwing and jumped off in front of the Tower.

"You distracted him for me." She turned around and smiled with a wink before entering the activated Tower.

"Princess?" She stopped halfway through the entering process and glanced back. "I can't lose you either."

"Oh, you, um, heard that." Aelita would blush had she not been on Lyoko.

"I did." Odd smiled.

"Um, I have to deactivate the Tower." Aelita stumbled into the Tower, and Odd watched the aura soon fade from red to white.

-( ( • ) )-

Kiwi was bashing against the rec room door. Everyone inside was screaming except Yumi and Ulrich. When the bashing stopped, the attack over, they thought Kiwi had made in. They hugged each other and waited for Xana, controlling Kiwi, to finally kill them once and for all.

-( ( • ) )-

"Return to the past, now." Aelita launched a return from her panel and the white bubble expanded up from the Tower's bowels and into the real world from the Holomap, reversing time.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita found Odd and ran over to him. "I'm sorry, Odd." They were on campus, near the vending machines.

"About what, Aelita?" Odd held a bag of chips in his hand and shoved some in his mouth.

"I've been avoiding you. I, I didn't mean to but after he exploded..." Aelita sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry, Aelita. I messed things up with you and Jeremie. I told him it was all me but he won't listen. And it really was all me! I hugged you, I looked at you that way!"

"It wasn't just you." Aelita blushed. "But I still love him. I'm sorry Odd." Odd's laugh surprised Aelita.

"Don't be sorry, Aelita. What you and Einstein have is what I'm looking for. If you two aren't together, then what am I chasing?"

"Um, nothing? You're dating Starla?"

"Exactly." Odd smiled. "She heard the rumors and confronted me about it, and I told her the truth. She thinks it's a bit weird that I have a crush on my cousin, but she just said, 'To each their own,' and she says she admires my candor. Whatever that is. But we're still friends. So go talk to Jeremie. Corner him in his room and don't leave until he accepts your apology."

"Are you sure, Odd? I don't want him yelling at me again."

"He might at first, but he will realize he has the prettiest girl in school absolutely in love with him. If any man can't see how great that is, then he sure isn't Einstein. Maybe a male version of Sissi." They both laughed.

"Thanks, Odd." Aelita hugged him one last time, then ran off to find Jeremie.

"Now, speaking of Sissi. She _is_ on the list." Odd walked off finishing the chips off. _Am I really desperate enough to date Sissi?_


	6. Episode 127: The Candyman

Xana activated a Tower. He then deactivated it before the Super Scan could find it. He kept doing this, setting up an attack.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd was watching TV in the rec room when a commercial came on. "Buy the new Extreme Sugar Blast Sweeters! Sweeters are the newest most extreme candy out there! One suck and you'll forget the rest of those so-called sweets!"

"Wow. They are trying way too hard." Odd changed the channel.

"After Teen Lycans, catch the new episode of Ratman! Only on Ricochet TV!" Odd changed the channel again.

"Commercial," He changed the channel again, getting bored, but not leaving the couch. He could have been outside, but the TV was something he had missed while at Kadic Academy for the past two years before the rec room had been built. Ulrich rarely let him watch the tiny TV they had in their room.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita was in Jeremie's room, trying to fix things with him. "I'm so sorry, Jeremie. Please, listen to me, Jeremie!" Aelita had tried to get Jeremie to forgive her for the past couple of days, but he kept ignoring her. "Please Jeremie? Turn around, please! I'm begging you." Aelita wrapped her arms around Jeremie's neck from behind and hugged him. "I love you Jeremie. I, I wouldn't care that I hurt you if I didn't. But, you, you said you wished I never existed. I was hurt too. But it doesn't excuse what I did." Jeremie turned and forced Aelita back.

"You're absolutely right. It doesn't." He stood up. Aelita backed away. "But I hurt you first. You hurt me back. We can call it even and try to forget it ever happened." Jeremie clenched his hands into fists. "I...I'm sorry I said what I did." He felt tears form in his eyes. _How could I say something so awful over a hug she didn't even ask for?_

"I'm sorry I did what I did." Aelita hugged Jeremie as tears formed in her eyes. "Thank you, Jeremie. You, you were the first face I saw. You were the first person I saw. You were the first person I thought of when I came to Earth. When I need someone to help me, you are always the first person I think of." She kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Jeremie."

"I'm glad I'm first." Jeremie kissed Aelita on the cheek then pulled away. Both were blushing. "I'm not sorry I found the Super Computer. My life would be different for the worse if I hadn't." He kissed her again making both blush even more. "I love you too Aelita. I'm lucky I found the Super Computer."

"My life wouldn't exist if you hadn't found it. So I'm more than happy you found it." Aelita kissed Jeremie a little longer than he had kissed her, but both pulled away and blushed more.

"I, I love you Aelita." It felt great saying it. He couldn't believe how mad he had been but he had realized it wasn't her fault. She was just trying to find her father. He would have done the same.

"I love you too, Jeremie." They hugged each other and enjoyed the warmth and comfort both brought to the other.

-( ( • ) )-

The next couple of days, the warriors waited for Xana to attack, but he didn't. Odd noticed more ads for Sweeters one day as he was headed to the movies. He passed posters in windows, heard commercials on radios of cars passing by, and even saw commercials on the TVs in the window of a video store. Finally, he got curious and bought some, and outside he popped one into his mouth. "Wow!" He downed the rest as fast as he could. "These are great!" Odd turned around and shot back into the store, buying more as soon as possible.

-( ( • ) )-

The next day Odd bought every bag of Sweeters at the corner store. As he, Alex and Ulrich played Galactic Invaders 4, he popped them in his mouth as fast as he could eat them while still shooting.

"I can't believe you bought so many of those." Ulrich marvelled.

"Those are so bad for you, dude. I'm amazed you manage to stay so scrawny. You gotta stay away from that stuff if you want to stay fit like me." Alex commented, slightly bragging on himself as he flexed a bit.

Odd made a strange 'mgph' sound as he spoke, chewing the taffy-like candy. "I'm not-mpgh, scrawny, I'm-mpgh, svelte."

"And what are you going to do when you get older and your metabolism slows down?"

"Get fat and die of Sweeters!" Odd finished the bag he was holding and threw it at Alex's trash can, where at least nine other empty bags were piling up. He proceeded to rip out another bag of candy from his backpack and start devouring it.

"Well then."

-( ( • ) )-

Another day passed, and still no attacks. Aelita and Jeremie got worried enough to send Aelita to Lyoko.

"Pulsations!" Aelita was crouched on the ground.

"Activated Tower found." The Super Scan beeped. "He was waiting for you to go, I bet. It's a trap, most likely. I'll call the others and have them get here."

-( ( • ) )-

Odd ran out of the corner store with more Sweeters candy stockpiled in his arms when a man came up to him. "So kid, you like the new candy?"

"You bet! Got more?!"

"No. I'm sorry, but some children stole our supplies. Do you recognize these children?" He showed Odd pictures of the gang.

"Wait, I do! Ulrich, Aelita, Yumi, William, Jeremie? Why would they steal the candy?"

"If you know where to find them, please ask them to bring the candy back."

"I know. I'll be right back. Is there a reward?"

"Of course, free Sweeters for life."

"Got it!" Odd ran off. The man smiled, laughed in a distorted voice, and turned into a black mist as soon as Odd was out of eyesight, disappearing from the street.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich, Yumi and William were rushing for the Factory. They got there to see Odd waiting on the bridge. "Odd! Jeremie said you wouldn't answer your phone, how did you know to come?" Yumi asked quizically.

"Candy! Why did you steal it!?" Odd hungrily neared the group.

"What candy?" Ulrich stepped between Yumi and Odd. "Odd, what's wrong with you?" Ulrich looked in Odd's eyes, thinking perhaps he was a specter. He saw that although there was no eye of Xana, Odd's eyes were dilated and bloodshot.

"Give me the Sweeters!" Odd lunged at Ulrich and tackled him onto the sewer cover, forcing William to jump aside.

"Get off of him!" Yumi tried to pull Odd off of Ulrich, but couldn't.

"Just get into the Factory! I can whoop Odd any day!" Ulrich struggled with Odd and knocked him off as the other two ran by. "So Odd, what is wrong?" Ulrich backs away from Odd.

"Sweeters, the man said you stole them. Give them to me!"

"Sweeters, those new candies you were cramming in your pie hole while we were playing the Z-Ramid? I haven't tried any. Sorry."

"Don't lie to me!" Odd leapt at Ulrich again, but Ulrich was ready. He grabbed Odd by the shirt, jumped backwards, and used the momentum to launch Odd over the edge of the bridge and into the water.

"Cool your head off, Odd, I have to fight Xana." Ulrich ran into the Factory.

-( ( • ) )-

"Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, and virtualization." They landed on Lyoko near Aelita in the Ice Sector. "The elevator is running. I'm guessing Ulrich made it."

"Be careful. If it's Odd, he might attack you. I don't know what was wrong with him."

"Xana might have done something to him." Jeremie saw through the security cameras that Ulrich was in the middle Scanner. "Transfer Ulrich, Scanner Ulrich, and virtualization." He landed on Lyoko near the others. Soon the vehicles formed.

"Which way, Jeremie?" Ulrich revved the Overbike.

"East." The four took off for the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) )-

"No! Can't let them get away." Odd climbed out of the river. "I have to get them so I can get the Sweeters." Odd ran back to the Factory and went inside.

-( ( • ) )-

"You're close to the activated Tower. I haven't seen any monsters on the screen. We might have caught Xana off guard." Jeremie heard the elevator running. "Ulrich, what did you do with Odd?"

"Threw him in the river, why?"

"I hear the elevator running."

"Jeremie, you might want to run. Now." Ulrich wondered if he should devirtualize himself to go and fight Odd.

"Wait, he, the elevator is going straight down to the Scanner Room. Maybe his little swim set him straight or fixed whatever Xana did to him." Jeremie watched Odd step into the middle Scanner on the camera. "Transfer Odd, Scanner Odd. Virtualization."

Odd landed on Lyoko near the others. "Candy!" Odd shot off on all fours in the direction the others had gone.

"Monsters." Ulrich murmured as the Dark Angel formed from a red wireframe. "Monster, whatever. We'll beat it up so Aelita can get through." Ulrich pulled his swords out.

"Candy!" Odd dashed at the others as they prepared to fight. "Give me candy!"

"Odd! What are you going on about?" Jeremie shouted.

"Candy! Sweeters!" Odd was almost at his destination. Ulrich jumped off of the Overbike and swung at the Dark Angel.

Yumi screamed and threw her fans. The Dark Angel levitated upward, dodging the fans and Ulrich's swords.

"Candy!" Odd vaulted into the air and fired laser arrows at William. William noticed them just in time and brought up his Zweihander to block them.

"Odd, what are you doing!?" William stepped aside from Odd, who had just tried to tackle him.

"Give me the candy!" Odd leapt at William again, who used his Zweihander as a shield.

"Jeremie, Odd is going crazy! Materialize him!" Aelita started to panic. _Whatever Xana did to Odd is affecting him even on Lyoko...but how and why?_

"I'm trying, but there's an error. I don't know what's going on." Jeremie tried to bring Odd back again, his ID Card appearing on the screen, but just as he hit the 'Home' key to start the devirtualization, a warning exclamation point appeared in Odd's card's place. "Xana did something major to Odd."

"We have to save him!"_ I can't lose him. _"Energy Field!" Aelita tried to send Odd back but missed.

"Aelita, don't forcibly devirtualize him! I don't know if he will come back like normal." Jeremie tried to fix the errors.

"Then what do we do?"

"William has to keep him busy until you deactivate the Tower." Jeremie worked but saw no solution.

"I don't know how long I can hold him off!" William dodged again.

"Just try." Aelita decided to focus on the Dark Angel. "Energy Field!" The Dark Angel leaned to the side, causing Ulrich's swords and Aelita's energy field to pass through one of the semicircle cut-outs in its body.

"We can't touch it!" Ulrich was trying but he couldn't even make the Dark Angel block. It just floated away from him every time.

"I'll try something." Yumi closed her eyes and picked a rock up with her telekinesis. She moved it towards the Dark Angel. "Ulrich! Now!" Yumi moved the rock right behind the Dark Angel. The monster didn't have room to move and was forced to block Ulrich's swords. Unfortunately for the Lyoko Warriors, it used one hand full of blades to block and its other to fire continuous lasers into Ulrich's gut, rapidly sapping his Life Points.

"William, take the Dark Angel. I'll handle the Pea Brain." Yumi threw her fans at Odd as William ran at the Dark Angel to assist Ulrich.

"Yumi, you can't destroy Odd!" Aelita panicked. She had to deactivate the Tower so they could launch a return. He might come back still frenzied, or even worse, not at all.

"I know, but I can keep him distracted." Yumi used her fans to block Odd's laser arrows.

-( ( • ) )-

"You don't have to follow Xana's orders!" William swung his Zweihander like a bat at the Dark Angel. It bent backwards and the Zweihander swung over it. William continued swinging and spun the blade all the way around his head to make another slash, this time aiming lower. The Dark Angel swiftly levitated into the air and landed on the end of the Zweihander. "Not this time." William spun around and let go of the Zweihander.

"Looks like that Dark Angel is going for a ride. Now..." Aelita watched the Zweihander vault off the Sector, and ran for the activated Tower. She floated up to the second platform and walked a few steps to the panel. She scanned her handprint on it, and as she entered the Lyoko code, the binary screens fell around her.

"Tower...deactivated." She paused as she thought of the deranged Odd.

"Huh?" Odd fell over, flat on his face. "Hey, Yumi, how did I get here?"

"Pea Brain." Yumi stated.

"What?"

"Pea Brain." she stated again as if discussing the weather.

"Jeremie, do we need a return?"

"I can't figure out these errors. It could take me days to fix it."

"We can't keep him out of school for that long with out someone getting suspicious." Aelita murmured as she waited on Jeremie.

"Return to the past now." The white bubble expanded out, rewinding the day.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd watched the advertisement for a new candy. "Alex is right. That junk will rot your teeth and puff up your belly like a balloon. Give me a nice big helping of meatballs and gravy instead." He turned the TV off.

"I should go out and do something active. Too much sitting around and watching TV is bad. Alex would be so proud of my healthy choices." He got up and left the rec room. "Never did ask Sissi out on a date…" Odd began to hatch a mischievous plan to entertain himself.


	7. Episode 128: An Odd Swim

Jeremie and Aelita were trying to fix the errors in the Super Computer.

"I don't get it. How could it still be bugged up after the return?" Jeremie was getting frustrated. "It could be dangerous to send Odd to Lyoko until we fix the errors."

"We could try and do without him. Yumi, William, and Ulrich are great on Lyoko and I can fight too. I did for the last few months." Aelita had no plans to risk losing Odd.

"We'll have to. If we lose anyone we might not be able to get them back. We've been lucky so far. When Yumi fell into the Digital Sea, I had your one-shot materialization on hand. With you, your dad saved the day. Even with William we still had that chance to get him back and we did." Jeremie rubbed his temples. "I need a break."

"So do I. We should get back to the school. We've been gone for four hours. Jim might get suspicious." Jeremie and Aelita left the Factory.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd was walking through the woods alone, again. He had worked himself into a corner. He dated all the girls available at Kadic Academy. He had dated some outside of the school but his reputation had made it to the other schools. The only girls who would talk to him then were Yumi, occasionally Starla, Sissi, and lastly Aelita.

"You can't date them, Odd." he told himself as he kicked a rock along the path. "Yumi and Ulrich are together even though they're too stupid to admit it. Starla wouldn't date you again in a million years after the rumors. Sissi is...more human, lately, but she's still Sissi. And the Princess, forget that." He shook his head as the memory of being in the Factory made him smile. "She made up with Einstein finally. Those two were made for each other." He kept walking down the path, kicking the rock.

-( ( • ) )-

Xana watched and waited. With Odd's errors they couldn't send him to Lyoko, so the best thing to do would make him be the only one left to send.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi and Ulrich were training. Ulrich liked these times because William didn't train in Pencak Silat so he and Yumi would be alone. He yelled out and kicked, and she grabbed his leg. He did a backflip, causing Yumi go flying as she held on to his leg. She fell and landed on top of him. He rolled over and they started to wrestle, one trying to pin the other.

Yumi yelled with a palm thrust and got Ulrich under the rib cage. She rolled and pinned him as he tried to catch his breath. "Are you okay?" She climbed off of him.

"I'll live." Ulrich was slow to get up.

"Where did you learn that?"

"Learn what?" Ulrich asked, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

"The backflip. I thought I had you beat, but wow." Yumi crossed her arms as she spoke.

"I saw it on Viewtube. Some college wrestler was caught like that and he did it. He threw the guy off of the mat and won his match."

"Cool. Want to go do something else?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Where?" Yumi uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides.

"Um, see a movie?" Ulrich suggested with a shrug.

"Let me get my phone and see if William wants to come." Ulrich made a choking sound. "What?"

"Do you have to?"

"I'm not going to the movies alone." Yumi said in an obvlivious manner, tilting her head.

"I'm going."

"I mean, not us alone. What would people say? I don't need any rumors going around at school. I hear enough from Hiroki as it is." Yumi dialed William. "Ulrich and I are going to the movies. Want to come?"

"Sure. Which movie?"

"Um...Hunter vs Johnny vs Steel Man Act Three?"

"Alright, I'll be there. I'll even pay for you."

"No, I'm paying for myself." Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Kay, see you there." She hung up after William spoke.

"I didn't think you'd like that movie." Ulrich noted, and Yumi looked over at him.

"Well, the first two were decent. And Donny Jepp is the lead actor in this one." Yumi smiled as Ulrich frowned. "What?"

"You got a crush on a forty year old actor from Canada."

"Maybe, so what?"

"It just sounds like something Sissi would say." Now Yumi frowned.

"I don't feel like going." Yumi clutched her stomach. "I'm going to the infirmary."

"But, Yumi." Ulrich knew she was lying. "Fine." Ulrich watched as Yumi started to run out of the gym.

"Hey," she whined as she pushed against the door, "The door won't open."

"What?" Ulrich came over and pushed the door, but it wouldn't open. "Maybe something fell in front of it." He slammed his shoulder against the door but it didn't move. "Or Xana is attacking."

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie and Aelita were walking down the side walk in the city. They had decided since it was a Saturday to not worry about Jim or anything. They were holding hands and wondering what to do, for they were taking a break but didn't know what to do. Without the Super Computer or their friends...

"Want to get something to eat?" Jeremie asked. Aelita looked at her cell phone.

"It _is_ almost time for dinner."

"No, I mean, not at school. You know, like, um, a date." Jeremie tried not to blush but couldn't help it. Even though they had gone on a couple of dates during the time Xana was gone, they were still very shy about their feelings.

"Yes, Jeremie." Aelita smiled. She started thinking about dinner with Jeremie when the beeping from his laptop shattered her thoughts.

"Xana!" they both yelled as Jeremie pulled the laptop out.

"Desert Sector. We'd better call the others." Jeremie and Aelita got their phones out to call the others.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd was near the Hermitage when his phone rang. He looked at the Caller ID before answering. "Princess?"

"Xana's attacking. Hurry to the Factory."

"Your knight in shining armor will be there." They hung up and Odd used the Hermitage's sewer entrance to get to the Factory.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich had just finished telling Jeremie over the phone that he and Yumi were trapped.

"That's not good." Jeremie said with a frown.

"Yeah, but Xana's not hurting us or anything."

"You don't understand. Odd is still bugged up. If he goes and is devirtualized he might not come back. That's if he even makes it to Lyoko if we try to send him. We need you two. Try to see if you can climb out through a window or something, okay, Ulrich?"

"We'll try."

"Don't try, do. Aelita, Odd, all of us need you to do not try." They hung up. "Aelita, did you get William?"

"He's coming."

"Okay." Jeremie said with a nod, waiting and worrying.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi and Ulrich went into their separate locker rooms looking for a way out. When they came back out, both had bad news. "Locked."

"I tried breaking a window but there's nothing to do it with."

"Same here." Yumi looked around the gym. "There has _got _to be a way out. We've gotten out of here before."

"Yeah, but Xana wasn't trying to keep us in, then. I don't think he wants us out. He wants Odd alone."

"What, why?" Ulrich then told Yumi about the errors. "Oh, that's not good." She bit on a nail in worry.

"We better hope William can make it." They sat down back-to-back, hoping their friends would be okay.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd made it to the Factory first.

"Odd, I want to try something." Jeremie had an idea. "Step in the Scanners. I'll scan you and see if I can fix the errors. The matrix algorithm detected a sort of retrovirus in your DNA and implemented it in your avatar. A retrovirus is a strand of viral DNA that attaches to your DNA and becomes a part of your genetic code. The avatar's virtual DNA didn't match your new genetic coding, so the Super Computer tried to combine the two and your entire avatar got corrupted. So, if the matrix algorithm scans you again without the retrovirus being attached to your DNA, then it will match the vDNA and you'll be fine."

"How about speaking in normal words?" Odd asked sheepishly.

"You were messed up last time because of what Xana did to you through that candy junk. If they scan you without there being something wrong with you, then maybe it will help." Aelita translated.

"Okay, Einstein." Odd went down to the Scanner Room. He stepped in the middle Scanner and waited.

"Okay, Scanner Odd." The doors closed and Odd felt the rush of energy around him. When the doors opened he stepped out.

"Anything?"

"I think so." Jeremie quickly entered the data and a green exclamation point popped up. "It's fixed."

"Ha ha! I fixed the Scanners." Odd stepped back into the middle Scanner. "Send me, Einstein."

"We're waiting for William."

"What about the others?"

"They can't make it." With Odd being fixed it was better, but Jeremie was still worried. "No stupid tricks, alright, Odd? We can't risk Aelita not making it to the Tower while Xana does whatever it is he's trying to do."

"Gotcha." Odd and the other two waited.

-( ( • ) )-

William made it to the Factory and hurried inside. He took the elevator straight down to the Scanner Room. "Nice to see you finally made it." Odd smiled, showing he was joking. "Let's go."

"I'll be right there." Aelita took the ladder down and hurried over to a Scanner. The three warriors stepped in.

"Transfer Aelita, Transfer Odd, Transfer William. Scanner Aelita, Scanner Odd, Scanner William. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Desert Sector as the vehicles appeared. "Go west and hurry. We don't know what Xana is planning on Earth." Jeremie watched the screen as his friends went to save the day.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich heard a noise. "Yumi, quiet." He heard another noise, then the sound of shattering glass. "Xana's doing something."

"But what?" Yumi turned when she heard a noise. She saw a long deep crack in the wall of the gym. It grew bigger as more windows shattered.

-( ( • ) )-

On Lyoko the group made it to the activated Tower and its guards. "Dark Angel and some Hornets." Odd raised his arms. "I'm ready."

"Be careful, Odd, we need to get Aelita to the Tower." William pulled the Zweihander out from black smoke. He still didn't know what powers he had aside from that smoke manipulation. Under Xana, he was a powerhouse but not being under his control… He didn't know. He had his blue-gray outfit like the first time he came to Lyoko so what would his powers be?

"My middle name is careful." Odd aimed at the Hornets. "Laser Arrow!" He then proceeded to miss all of them.

"Oh, yes, Odd, very careful. Energy Field!" Aelita flung an energy orb and hit a Hornet, destroying it.

"I'll attack the Dark Angel." William charged it on the Overbike, ready with his Zweihander.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi screamed when the gym wall on the far side collapsed, the fallen wall creating an impossible-to-climb mountain of rubble. "Xana's going to crush the gym with us in it!"

"The others will deactivate the Tower in time." Ulrich snuggled closer to Yumi. "I know they will."

"They'd better." Yumi snuggled him back.

-( ( • ) )-

William stayed on the Overbike, circling the Dark Angel. _I just have to distract it so Aelita can make it to the activated Tower..._

Odd fired laser arrows while riding the Overboard towards the Hornets. He dodged lasers, trying to lead the Hornets away from Aelita and the activated Tower. "Come on, bug brains!" Odd fired.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw and hit another Hornet. "Four left." She stayed on the Overwing, creating another energy orb.

-( ( • ) )-

The gym collapsed more, demolishing half of another wall. Ulrich and Yumi ran over to the door and started kicking at it, screaming for help.

-( ( • ) )-

Odd fired more laser arrows and dodged the lasers from his opponents, but was getting frustrated. The Hornets seemed faster than before. He got close to one and went to fire but could't. "Einstein! Reload me."

"You got it." Jeremie loaded Odd's laser arrow program. "No! Odd, I can't." A red exclamation point covered the reload window. "Go after the Dark Angel and see if you can't tackle it or something while William goes after the Hornets."

"I'm ready to dance." Odd dove at the Dark Angel. It turned and saw him coming.

"As am I." Odd was shocked to hear it not only talk as it had before, but have a comeback. The shock threw off his dive and allowed the Dark Angel to strike the Overboard. Odd went flying off of the quickly dematerializing Overboard and landed on the ground. The Dark Angel leapt at Odd and started firing its continuous draining lasers from its claws as he punched, kicked and clawed at it.

"Odd!" Aelita went to help him but the Hornets turned and attacked her.

William activated the flight controls on the Overbike and flew after the Hornets. He swung his Zweihander and destroyed one. The remaining three broke apart and scattered. "Aelita, try to get to the Tower!" William chased after two of the three Hornets.

"Okay." Aelita dove at the activated Tower on the Overwing, but a Hornet shot and hit it, destroying it.

"No, Aelita!" Odd kicked at the Dark Angel one more time, this time successful, and ran to protect Aelita. The Dark Angel clawed at Odd's back, knocking him to the ground. Before Odd could recover, the Dark Angel grabbed Odd and lifted him off of the ground. "Let me go!" Odd struggled but couldn't get free.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and destroyed the one Hornet that William wasn't chasing. The two remaining split up and one went after each remaining warrior.

"What are you doing!?" Odd struggled still but couldn't get free. He turned his head and saw that the Dark Angel was taking him near the edge of the Sector. "Help! Einstein, materialize me or something!"

"I can't!" A red exclamation point was on the screen again.

"I thought the errors were fixed!" Aelita yelled as she ran towards Odd and the Dark Angel, dodging lasers from the Hornet.

"I did too." Jeremie tried again to bring Odd back to Earth but couldn't. "Devirtualize Odd before he's thrown into the Digital Sea!"

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw it, her aim true, but the Hornet dove into its path and destroyed itself to keep Odd on Lyoko.

"No!" William flung his Zweihander at Odd, but the Dark Angel threw the feline warrior over the edge. The oversized sword launched well off the Sector edge and slowly arced downward towards the Digital Sea. "Odd!" William revved the engine of the Overbike, but the last Hornet fired a laser, hitting it, and William fell off of it.

"No!" Aelita screamed as she waved her hand over her star bracelet. Her wings formed and she took off over the edge. "Energy Field!" She threw the energy orb and missed. "Odd!" She threw another one and missed again.

"Help!" Odd saw the Digital Sea was getting closer and closer. He turned his head back around, and dread devoured his mind as he realized Aelita was too far away to catch him. "Jeremie, materialize me!"

"I can't!" Jeremie watched the map, helpless and fearful.

Odd saw his reflection in the Digital Sea and flinched just before falling in, a pillar of light bursting out from where he entered.

"No, Odd!" Aelita stopped just above the Digital Sea. "Daddy, please save him!" Aelita watched and waited for Franz Hopper to bring Odd back. _He did it for me so he would do it for Odd, right?_

"Aelita! Watch out!" She heard William's warning and turned to see the Dark Angel had flown off the Sector and was diving to get her. It used its levitation to slow its falling rate but wasn't strong enough to gain full control.

"Energy Field!" She created a field and it kept growing until it was a bubble big enough to hold all six Lyoko Warriors, including Jeremie, in it. The Dark Angel fell in and instantly disintegrated. She immediately shot up above the Sector and saw the last Hornet feebly shoot a laser at her. "Energy Field!" She created another large one and threw it, consuming the laser and destroying the Hornet.

"Aelita, you need to-" William's sentence is cut off by a medium energy field to the jaw, devirtualizing him immediately.

"Aelita, please deactivate the Tower." Jeremie tried to remain calm but the shakiness of his voice betrayed his true fear.

"You let him die!" Aelita screamed; she would be crying if she could on Lyoko.

"No Aelita, he, he's just in the Digital Sea I'm sure I can find him. We found Yumi before."

"You got lucky. You had the program set and she had just fallen in. Unless you have one for Odd ready right now he's gone." Aelita felt herself weaken. Her wings disappeared and she fell to the ground. "Odd, no."

"I still have the one needed to bring you to Earth from before, the Code: Earth program. I just need to make some adjustments and realign some things to bring Odd back."

"How long will that take?" William had just taken the elevator up after devirtualizing.

"I don't know."

"He'll be gone by then." Aelita looked at the activated Tower sorrowfully. "I have to finish this." She walked slowly to the activated Tower and entered it. One step; the first ring lit up. Two more; the second ring lit up. Two more after that; the center dot lit up, and she began to glow. She slowly floated up, her negative emotions dimming her glow and slowing her ascent. She landed on the second platform and slowly went through the process. "Tower deactivated." The screens fell around her. "Bring me back, Jeremie."

"Okay, Aelita." Jeremie did so.

-( ( • ) )-

A few minutes later they were arguing. "There are no errors! I just scanned the programs three times! You lied about the errors!" Aelita's yelling was so loud, no one heard the cell phones ringing.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich tried calling Jeremie again. "We're stuck in here until they launch a return." The gym had stopped collapsing, meaning the attack was over, but they were still stuck in the gym.

"They won't know to do one until they answer their phones." Yumi tried calling William again.

"If we had left for the movies instead of wasting time calling William we wouldn't be trapped here."

"I'm not arguing with you about this." Yumi called William again. "He has to be back to Earth by now." She tried again and sighed. "You see? This is why I am so afraid to go on the week-long trip to Japan next week…" Ulrich stared at her.

"That's next week? Wow, and today is Saturday too. I didn't know it was that soon...Yumi..."

-( ( • ) )-

"You were jealous! That's why!" Aelita had tears in her eyes and her throat was starting to hurt from yelling.

"Aelita, I told you I forgave you. I hurt you, you hurt me." Jeremie was trying to stay calm. "I tried to send him more arrows and the program bugged up. I tried to materialize him and it bugged up again."

"Then how come they're fine now?! I just scanned both programs and there is nothing wrong with either of them! Liar!"

"Aelita, I'm not lying! I wouldn't let Odd die. I wouldn't let that happen to anyone, not even Jim or Sissi!" Jeremie lost his cool. "You have to believe me!"

"Believe the person who said he wished I never existed?! You told me you wished you never found the Super Computer! How can I trust someone who wishes I didn't exist? I hate you!" Aelita ran to the other passage out of the Control Room and took off.

"Aelita!" Jeremie called after her, yet didn't follow. "I can't believe this. I...we need to work on finding Odd."

"What do we do until then?" William was scared. Odd had just been thrown into the Digital Sea. After his time with Xana, he was worried Odd had been taken and made into the new Avatar of Xana.

"I don't know. It could take weeks to recalibrate the old materialization program to work on Odd."

"Um, do what you did with me? Tell them he, like...went on a trip with his parents or something."

"They might get suspicious if Odd just disappears."

"Then the other thing? The cloning?"

"It will have to work. I just hope it works better than the last clone." Jeremie started to work on activating a Tower when William's phone rang for the umpteenth time.

"Hello?" William answered, distracting Jeremie. "Okay, I'll tell him."

"Who was that?"

"Yumi. Xana tried crushing her and Ulrich while they were in the gym. They need a return."

"Okay," Jeremie pulled up the program. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble expanded outward, reversing time.

-( ( • ) )-

Two days later Ulrich was dragging the clone with him to lunch. "Come on, Odd, you can't keep acting like this!"

"Like this? What is a this and how do they act?" Yes indeed, it was dumb, just like the last clone.

"Never mind."

"No mind to never never mind no mind never." the clone babbled. Ulrich, infuriated, almost punched it in the face. He had to stay calm, though.

"They better find the real Odd. Fast." Ulrich continued to drag the clone with him to the cafeteria, the clone babbling all the way.


	8. Episode 129: An Odd Shooting

The Odd clone had been getting weirder and weirder. Ulrich and Jeremie had had to keep it in control but at the moment it was watching TV, laughing loudly. "That was great!" Ulrich tried to keep it quiet.

"It was just a commercial for athletes foot cream, calm down." Ulrich shook his head. "Please shut up."

"Up shut up please up shut up, cream shut up please up." Ulrich put a hand over its mouth. For some reason it would repeat words like that. Jeremie wasn't sure why, and he had tried to fix it but Xana had interrupted.

"Come on. We need to... do homework, or something." Ulrich was getting tired of the clone. He had to do its homework as well as his, which meant twice as much work as before. Jeremie was busy trying to find Odd and work things out with Aelita, who blamed him for losing Odd. Ulrich and the clone left the rec room.

Sissi was watching the two, wondering what was going on. She didn't want to be too nosy, but Odd was behaving very oddly. "Herve, Nicholas, keep an eye on Odd."

"Okay, Sissi." The two followed Ulrich and the clone.

-( ( • ) )-

The next day Ulrich was glad Yumi and William were there with him. The two older students had a history project to do for their class, but Ulrich needed a break. "Just watch him for a couple hours. I'm going to train for a while. Alone." Ulrich stared at the clone. "I can't take him there. He tries to imitate me. We don't need it attacking Jim." Ulrich then left William's dorm room.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie was working on the Skidbladnir. Aelita had deleted it along with a few other programs when she thought she was saving her father. The Skid was needed to look for Odd, for sure.

He had apologized and told Aelita what had happened. But when the two looked at the programs, the errors weren't there anymore. It was as if they had appeared just so Odd could be lost, then fixed themselves. It was something Xana was perfectly capable of doing. Of course, Aelita didn't believe that. She thought he was jealous about Odd's liking her, and let it happen. The only way to fix things with her was to find Odd.

Xana noticed the Skidbladnir forming in Sector 5. He activated a Tower and launched his attack.

-( ( • ) )-

The clone started to spark. "Odd, what are you doing?" Yumi set down the posterboard. It morphed into Odd's Lyoko form, as if he had just been translated. "This can't be good." Yumi backed away from the clone.

"We should tell Jeremie about this." William reached for his phone when the clone extended a hand and fired a Laser Arrow, hitting William's hand. William yelled out and dropped the phone, his hand burnt and bleeding.

"Run!" Yumi and William ran out of the room as the clone shot several more Laser Arrows at them.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie called Ulrich. "Ulrich! Xana's attacking."

"I'll be there."

"Do you have the clone?"

"No, I left him with Yumi and William."

"Okay, I'll call them, you call Aelita."

"Still fighting with her?" Jeremie's silence answered Ulrich's question. "I'll call her."

"Thanks." Jeremie briskly hung up.

-( ( • ) )-

"Run!" Yumi and William saw some students and warned them as the clone came around the corner, firing Laser Arrows. They had all stared at Yumi and William as if they had grown two more heads each, then saw Odd and dispersed, shrieking and wailing.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich called Aelita. "Aelita, Xana's attacking."

"I, I'll be there." Aelita hung up and wiped at her eyes. She was at the Hermitage with several pictures. She had been holding ones with her and Jeremie, and some with and her and Odd. She looked one more time at the ones with Odd, and couldn't help but cry.

He was gone and they couldn't find him. They had tried to use a program like the one they used to save Yumi but it didn't work. They would have to look for him in the Digital Sea, the internet. But first they needed the Skidbladnir.

She set the pictures with Odd in them into a book and put the book on the bookshelf. When she had found Odd she would come back for them. The pictures of Jeremie, she stared at. She was torn inside. She still loved him but hated him for being so jealous of Odd that he would let the cat boy be lost. She set them on a table and used the sewer entrance at the Hermitage.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich called Yumi. "Yumi, Xana's attacking."

"We know! He's controlling the clone!" Yumi and William had split up and it had chosen her. It fired Laser Arrows and one hit her in the shoulder. She cried out and dropped her phone in pain.

"Yumi! Yumi, are you okay? Yumi!" Ulrich yelled but the clone stepped on her phone, crushing it underfoot. "I have to hurry. William better get to the Factory." Ulrich ran at top speed to the Factory.

-( ( • ) )-

A Laser Arrow pierced Yumi's left calf. "No, have to keep going." Yumi limped and the clone caught up to her. It kicked her hard in the back, sending her flying. "No, please." Yumi struggled to get up.

"You leave her alone right now!" A stick hit the clone in the back of the head and it turned around to see Sissi. "Odd?" It raised an arm and fired a Laser Arrow at Sissi. She feebly raised the stick, which promptly snapped in half when the Laser Arrow impacted it and exploded. "What's wrong with him?!" Sissi backed away nervously.

"Get away, Sissi!" Yumi tackled the clone from behind and knocked it to the ground. She threw a punch at its face, but it promptly caught her fist and pushed her off of it.

"Hey Nicholas! Beat him up while I help Yumi!" Sissi beckoned. Nicholas ran out from behind a tree, holding a shovel from the garden shed, and promptly bashed the clone in the back of the head. Yumi watched Xana's symbol appear in its eyes as it went limp.

"Thanks, Nicholas." He helped Yumi up.

"What's wrong with him?" Sissi kicked at the clone.

"It's not Odd. One of Jeremie's robots went crazy." Yumi cringed as she stepped with her injured leg. "We have to get out of here before it turns back on."

"Good idea." Sissi and Nicholas helped Yumi get away.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich, Aelita, and William made it to the Factory within a few minutes of each other. "What's the attack?" Ulrich breathed, and William answered.

"Xana possessed the clone. I seem to remember him doing the same to me, well, my clone."

"He tried to. We have to hurry. I don't think I can take control back." Jeremie replied.

"Why?" Aelita tilted her head, her voice dripping venom.

"Because you deleted the program used to do that. I mean, the program," Jeremie stopped. "I'm sorry." Aelita ignored him and got back on the elevator. William and Ulrich got on and took the elevator down to the Scanner Room. The three's cards all appeared on the screen and started to fill up with color. "Transfer Aelita, Transfer Ulrich, Transfer William, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Ulrich, Scanner William, and virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Desert Sector. He sent the vehicles next. "Go east, it isn't far."

"Got it." Ulrich mounted the Overbike with William on the Overwing. Aelita stared at the Overboard, remembering Odd for a moment, before mounting it as well.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi, Sissi, and Nicholas were in the woods when the police showed up at Kadic Academy. The clone reactivated and started to get up when the police saw it. "Freeze!" They pointed their guns at it. The clone didn't follow their order; it charged with energy, becoming stronger than before, and fired Laser Arrows in their directon without hitting any officers.

"Freeze or we'll shoot!" The clone aimed and took out the windows. It put holes in the doors. "Last chance!" Several officers took aim.

"Fire!" Six shots rang out. All six hit the clone and it fell backwards. "Paramedics, check on the shooter while we look for other shooters." The police started to come out from behind the cars when the clone sparked with energy. The wounds healed and it stood back up.

"What is that thing!?" The police moved back behind their cars.

"Call for backup."

"Call who?"

"More police, the military, or citizens with bigger guns, it doesn't matter, we have to stop that thing." The police opened fire and hit the clone. This time it sparked with energy immediately and fired back.

-( ( • ) )-

The group waited behind a rock formation, watching the activated Tower and the guards in front of it. "Tarantulas, but no Dark Angel. Xana is up to something." William grabbed his Zwiehander and prepared to fight.

"We're lucky." Ulrich drew his swords. "Aelita, be careful."

"I can't be." Aelita prepared an energy orb. "Energy Field!" She threw it and missed a Tarantula.

"Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart and his two clones used Super Sprint to stay by his side as he drove on the Overbike.

"I have to have some powers." William remembered the ones he had under Xana's control. He focused on his Zweihander and felt it start to vibrate. He pulled it back then swung it like a bat and an energy blade arced out. "Rosetta!" he yelled on a whim, trying to name the power. It cut a Tarantula in half, destroying it.

"William! You just lost thirty life points." Jeremie warned.

"I did? My powers take life points now? Great." William dodged lasers as the last two Tarantulas aimed at him.

-( ( • ) )-

The clone had the police pinned. An armored truck drove up and several armored officers deployed out, ready with shotguns. "What is that thing?"

"We don't know, but it won't go down." Most of the officers were low on ammo after emptying several clips into the clone.

"This will." An armored officer raised a shotgun, aimed, and fired a slug into the clone. It stumbled backwards as a hole was torn out in its chest, revealing a wireframe. But energy sparked around it and it healed. It aimed and fired, hitting the armored officer in the chest and sending him flying backwards. "Ow, even with the flak jacket that hurt."

"Aim for the head!" Three armored officers aimed. The clone fired Laser Arrows and hit one of the shotguns, damaging it. The other two fired, hitting it in the head. The clone's head instantly became a flickering wireframe as it crumpled to the ground.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi, Sissi and Nicholas heard the gun fire and cringed. Yumi didn't know what Xana was up to. Sissi was worried about her father and Nicholas was worried about his best friend, Herve. "I hope they're alright."

"They will be." Yumi stumbled and fell to her knees. "I, this is far enough." She turned and sat. She pulled her pant leg up to see crusted blood around the wound where the Laser Arrow had entered and disintegrated. "I'll be okay."

"Are you sure? That looks really bad." Sissi took a closer look. "I can't believe you aren't crying."

"I've been hurt worse." Yumi bit her lower lip. "I've been hurt a lot worse than this." She sweated as she worried about the others, and the students still at Kadic Academy.

"Nicholas, give me your shirt and find some sticks. I need to make a splint for Yumi in case her leg is broken, and even if it isn't, I can tie the shirt tight enough to apply pressure and keep her from bleeding too much if the wound reopens." Sissi barked.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita spun on the Overboard, dodging lasers. She leapt off of the Overboard and activated her wings as it crashed into a Tarantula and destroyed it. "Only one left." Aelita created an energy orb.

"Wait a minute, there is something above the Tower." Aelita looked up.

"I don't see anything, Jeremie."

"I see it on the map, be careful. I'll try to figure out what it is."

"There's nothing up there." Aelita threw her energy orb at the last Tarantula and missed it.

"Aelita, there is something there!" Jeremie saw it move. "Look out!" Aelita looked up and saw the Dark Angel, falling towards her with claws outstretched.

"Energy Field!" She created the orb but didn't have enough time to throw it. She held it out in front of her, blocking the Dark Angel's claws. It continued to fall until it landed on the Sector floor.

"Super Sprint!" Ulrich took off as the Overbike continued into the Tarantula, destroying it. He and his remaining clone attacked the Dark Angel.

William tried to do what Ulrich and Aelita did and used the Overwing as a weapon. The Dark Angel dodged it and the Overwing hit the clone, devirtualizing it.

"What are you doing, William?!" Ulrich shouted.

"Sorry!" William ran at the Dark Angel with his Zweihander raised over his head like a flag. He swung it like an axe and missed. The Dark Angel spun around, dodging Ulrich's attack, and bashed William in the chest with a metallic wing.

-( ( • ) )-

The Odd clone was being carried away on a stretcher, its head still a strange wireframe. Several students were shaken up, but not injured. Mr. Delmas worried as he noticed several students were missing. "Has anyone seen my daughter? Or Ulrich Stern? Yumi Ishiyama? Jeremie Belpois? Aelita Stones? Nicholas Poliakoff? Odd Della Robbia?" He asked around but no one knew.

The clone was loaded into a truck to be carried to the morgue when it started to spark. "Back off!" Several officers pulled their weapons out as an Eye of Xana appeared at the base of the clone's neck, rotating horizontally and moving upwards, filling the wireframe of its head back in. The clone sat up with an outstretched arm, ready to fire Laser Arrows.

"Fire!" The officers unloaded their clips as the clone sparked with more energy, becoming stronger than before.

Yumi flinched every time she heard a gun shot. Each one could be someone getting hurt or worse.

The clone sprung out of the truck, firing Laser Arrows. An officer was hit in the arm and even his flak jacket wasn't enough. He screamed as the arrow nicked his skin and cauterized it, disintegrating upon contact, and clutched at it to give it pressure.

"Pull back, pull back, pull back!" The officers darted around and hid behind cars and buildings, now focused on hiding from and surviving this person, machine or whatever harbinger of destruction it was.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich and William battled the Dark Angel. It dodged and blocked their swords with its claws. Aelita almost flung an Energy Field, but the two boys were in the way.

-( ( • ) )-

The Odd clone ran away from the officers and into the woods. "Follow it! It's trying to escape, someone call for a helicopter!" Several officers rushed after it as others called for more backup, but the majority of them were still hiding.

Yumi and the other two heard footsteps. "Haven't they stopped that thing yet?" Sissi was getting more worried with every second.

"No, run!" Yumi shouted as she saw the clone.

"Come on." Nicholas tried to help her up but she accidentally put all of her weight on her bad leg and fell over in pain.

"Get out of here!" Yumi saw the clone aim at them.

"He's going to lobotomize us!" Sissi squealed, flailing her arms as she and Nicholas ran. The clone fired a Laser Arrow and hit Nicholas in the back. He fell forward immediately.

"Nicholas!" Sissi stopped running and turned around, kneeling to drag him, but the clone fired four more arrows, each one narrowly missing Nicholas and Sissi. She panicked, screaming, and ran away, briefly faltering and looking back at Nicholas one more time as she ran.

"Leave them alone, Xana." Yumi sat up, facing the clone. "I'm the one you want." She slowly stood up, making sure to use her good leg for support. "I might be hurt but I can still fight." She got in a Kokutsu Dachi stance with her injured left leg forward, and her right leg back with all her weight on it.

"There it is!" The officers burst through the woods into the clearing and aimed at the clone.

"Wait! There's someone behind it." The others saw Yumi, who was spinning around, putting her weight on her bad leg for just a moment. "Get down!" Yumi's good foot impacted the clone's gut and she gasped in pain from being on her bad leg, falling over. The clone flew back but was hit dozens of times in the back and head. It fell to its knees, sparking with energy.

"Fire!" Three officers with shotguns fired, hitting the clone in the back. One of the slugs passed through it and hit Yumi, who was laying on the ground, breathing heavily, in the lower back. She screamed in agony as the clone fell backward. It continued to spark with energy, Eyes of Xana forming over all the holes to close the wounds, trying to heal itself.

"She was hit, get the paramedics!" Several officers rushed over and fire point blank range at the clone. Dirt and sparks showered them but they continued firing until the clone was just one wireframe, for they had seen it resurrect far too many times for comfort.

-( ( • ) )-

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander like a bat and fired an energy blade. The Dark Angel bent backwards and the energy blade passed over it, and hit the activated Tower. "Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and hit the Dark Angel before it could recover from dodging William's attack.

"Hurry, Aelita." Jeremie saw her blip on the screen disappear into the activated Tower.

"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi groaned from the wound in her back. The paramedics lifted her onto a stretcher. "Blood pressure dropping, someone get that wound closed!" They rushed her to an ambulance as she passed out.

"Return to the past now." The white bubble expanded out, reversing time.

Jeremie worked on protecting the Tower used to make the Odd clone. He had wanted to work on the Skidbladnir, but they couldn't risk Xana possessing the clone again. Yumi had told them what happened. An Odd shooting could not be allowed again.


	9. Episode 130: An Odd Replacement

The group was sitting in the lunch room after the last Xana attack, discussing what they would do now that Odd was gone, his clone was tweaked and Yumi was leaving for Japan.

"I don't know what to do without Odd. I can't imagine what he might be going through right now, and that last Xana attack was so difficult without him! We need to look for him in the Skid!" Tears started to well up in Aelita's eyes.

"No, Aelita, it's too dangerous to go right now. I need to keep working on the Skid. Its shields are too weak." Jeremie was trying to think of an alternative, but drew a blank.

"We've gone there how many times without any problem. We might find Odd _or_ my father. I'm going whether you all do or not." Aelita persisted, the first tear falling.

"Jeremie is right, Aelita, if Xana senses you're alone on Lyoko, he'll attack, and you can't hide in a Tower while you're in the Digital Sea." Ulrich shook his head.

"Ulrich is right. And that's if the Skid even holds up in its current state. We'll work something out, Aelita. I'll just have to keep tweaking your Code: Earth program. If you really want to, maybe Yumi, Ulrich and William could go with you to look in a few days." It was the best Jeremie could come up with at the time.

"No way, guys, sorry, but me, my parents and Hiroki are getting on the plane to Japan first thing tomorrow morning." Yumi shook her head and sighed.

"At least we got permission to let you spend the night in my room." Aelita smiled sweetly.

"I think we should recruit some sort of temporary member. Is there a way to wipe the memory of someone after a Return to the Past even if they were immune?" William offered.

"We managed to do it with Laura. I guess you're right. But who? After what Laura did, she's a big no. Sissi? Milly or Tamiya? Alex or Jim?" Jeremie thought out loud.

"You want to replace Odd?" Aelita gaped.

"Odd want want no you replace to Odd." Odd's clone babbled.

"No! We could never replace Odd. It's a temporary member to fill his and Yumi's spots just long enough for them to get back."

"Yeah, and what happens whenever you magically can't find Odd as soon as you find a new member? You're so jealous for no reason! I cannot believe how disgusting you can be sometimes, Jeremie Belpois." Aelita shoved her chair back as she stood upright, taking her tray and leaving the cafeteria.

"But I..." Jeremie watched her leave, a frown painted on his face.

-( ( • ) )-

"Well, we need to take a vote on who to recruit." Jeremie, with Yumi, Ulrich and William, was sitting in his room that afternoon after classes.

"But what about Aelita?" Yumi crossed her arms. "She deserves a vote as much as the rest of us do."

"She won't even get near me if I bring up the subject of a temporary member." Jeremie countered with a sigh.

"What if she's so opposed to this, she decides to not go to Lyoko as long as the temporary member is involved?" Ulrich crossed his arms.

"I hope not. Xana's way too dangerous to get all pouty about." William shook his head disapprovingly.

"It's too dangerous, Jeremie, if she won't go to Lyoko, then Xana wins, hands down." Ulrich disagreed.

"We don't even know if that'll happen!" Jeremie exclaimed.

"We really should just take a vote. You could send out a text to everyone, including Aelita, except with her, just ask her which of the choices she likes most. Don't imply it's for Lyoko, think something up." Yumi suggested.

"Yeah, you could say it's for a project for class where you have to have three members, and ask her who she wants the third member to be. You could tell her that Ulrich, Odd's clone and someone else are already a group, and Yumi and I don't have that assignment since we're a grade higher. That way, she doesn't ask why we aren't choices." William added.

"But that means we have to recruit someone within the next five hours before lights out. And that group project excuse rules out anyone like Alex or Christoph, since they too are in Yumi's grade and wouldn't have the assignment." Ulrich noted. Jeremie sat there, his hands clasped together, watching the idea evolve.

"I would rather not be here whenever the decision is made. I'll cast my vote as soon as we arrive at my grandmother's house, it's a 12-hour flight and I'm leaving at 5:30 in the morning. Don't worry, though, I'll be back in Boulogne-Billancourt on Saturday night." Yumi explained.

"Trying to get out of being here to break the news to our recruit, huh?" Ulrich scolded.

Yumi rolled her eyes. "Like you wouldn't do the same thing if you had an excuse."

"So what? I'm not doing it so it doesn't matter." Ulrich shot back.

"Guys, calm down! That was actually a really great idea. Tomorrow night, I count all the replies to the voting text, then me, Ulrich, William and maybe Aelita go and talk to the new recruit. If they don't want to be in the group, then we revote. Since there's more than one option, it doesn't have to be unanimous unless someone just can't stand whoever wins. Sound good?" Jeremie interrupted.

"Don't you feel bad about going behind Aelita's back?" Ulrich demanded.

"Of course, but we have to. We barely survived that Laser Arrow shootout of Odd's clone last time, and if Yumi wasn't there, more people would have been hurt, since the clone wouldn't track her in the woods if she wasn't. We might have even lost since it would go after William instead, and without him, the Tower wouldn't be deactivated. Imagine only having one person with Aelita and one to stay on Earth to divert the attack." Jeremie explained his point of view.

"I'll vote, but don't you dare think I like this. I can't believe you'd support this, Yumi." Ulrich shook his head. They all became quiet when Sissi, with Herve and Nicholas, knocked on Jeremie's door and he opened it.

"Hello Jeremie. Is Ulrich there? I was hoping he would come with me to the new Hunter vs Johnny vs Steel Man Act Three movie. I have tickets already, and there's enough for Yumi or whoever to come along too." Sissi asked in a surprisingly polite tone, and Ulrich stood up.

"I would _love_ to go with you, Sissi. Don't worry about Yumi, she already has her mind set." Ulrich quipped.

"Great! Want to go right now so we can catch the 5 o'clock showing?"

"Sounds excellent." Ulrich looked over his shoulder at Yumi before walking away with Sissi, passing Milly and Tamiya in the hall. The two popped into Jeremie's room.

"Jeremie, do you have time to answer a few questions?" Milly jogged up to him and asked, with her microphone in his face.

"Well, actually, I was-" Jeremie started.

"Great!" Tamiya burst out.

"Is it true that you and your group of friends are psychic?" Milly barked, "We have sources that claim you and your friends, on some days, seem to know what's going to happen before it does."

"That's crazy, what makes you believe that? We just have good intuition." Jeremie stammered.

"Are you sure you aren't just saying that so you won't have your secret revealed?" Milly pressed. Just then, Odd's clone flung open his dorm door and waltzed right out, carrying Kiwi and a game controller.

"Go in, I want to play!" The clone tried to get the plug to go into Kiwi's mouth. "Maybe it goes in the other end."

"Um, I have to go, bye!" Jeremie ran out and took Kiwi away from the clone. "We do not put controllers in dogs!"

"Controller do in not dog put controller in in we dog." The clone babbled stupidly.

-( ( • ) )-

At dinner, the group plus the Odd clone sat at their usual table, Aelita at the far end from Jeremie. The Odd clone held a banana up to his face, looking at it. He then shoved it up his left nostril.

"No, Odd, the banana goes in your mouth, not your nose." Aelita leaned on her elbow and rolled her eyes.

"Banana Odd mouth your go nose."

"Jeremie, haven't you fixed his babble speak yet?" Ulrich groaned.

"Nope, it's just another emergent quality, like my clone's flirtiness and William's clone's stupidity. Anyway, Aelita, if you want, tomorrow night we could spend the night at the Factory in Sector 5, working on the Skid and maybe checking Xana's memory for Odd in the Celestial Dome. We could just get back to school in the morning and skip breakfast." Jeremie suggested, and Aelita brightened up a bit.

"I'd like that a lot." She smiled.

-( ( • ) )-

Outside of the principal's office the next morning, at 4:30 AM, Mr. Ishiyama checked Yumi out from her little sleepover with Aelita so they could catch their flight. Yumi was walking to the gate to get in the car, when, much to her surprise, Aelita, Ulrich, William and Jeremie emerged from around a corner.

"What are you guys doing up so early?" She blinked, surprised.

"Seeing you off. Have a great trip!" Aelita beamed. William hugged Yumi briefly as Aelita and Jeremie smiled in a friendly manner. Ulrich hugged her after William let go, for a tiny bit longer than the first hug Yumi received that morning.

"Ulrich, can I talk to you for a second or two? I think we should talk." Yumi smiled to dissipate any worry he might garner from the dreaded 'we need to talk' phrase many people feared.

"I know Yumi, you're leaving for what'll seem like forever, and I wanted to apologize for being so rude about the temporary member thing."

"It's alright." Yumi smiled.

"I also wanted to tell you something before you left."

"I do too, Ulrich, you go first." Yumi twisted her arm behind her back, both excited and terrified.

"Well, you see…" Ulrich stammered, "I wanted to know..."

"Yes?"

"So...are you...are you and William, like...together?"

"I can't believe you, Ulrich! I don't like William that way!"

"Then how come every time I see you two, you're flirting?"

"_He_ flirts with _me_ Ulrich, and even if I did, at least I haven't kissed him!"

"Sissi has nothing to do with this, Yumi. Just because I went to a movie with her doesn't mean I like her."

"Then how come you kiss her all the time?"

"I do not! I've only kissed her three times, and one of those times was a Xana clone!"

"Three times? I knew you kissed her twice, but three times? You're even worse than I thought."

"The third time doesn't count, she kissed me, I didn't kiss her back! And the first time was to get you out of trouble!"

"You were all good and ready to kiss her though, weren't you? Couldn't think of another way? Or didn't want to think of another way?"

"Yumi, I had to act quickly, and that was the quickest way. I didn't want to, but to get you out of trouble, I would do anything." Ulrich blushed. "I didn't want you to leave like this. I'm sorry, Yumi."

"Fine, look, I'll come to school on Monday."

"You be safe, Yumi, Xana _could_ attack you."

"He could, but at least I know what to expect from an attack by Xana." Yumi walked away, back to the others and her father, leaving Ulrich still stinging from the tongue-lashing, and grieving that he didn't get to say what he wanted to say to her.

-( ( • ) )-

At the airport, the Ishiyamas had just put their bags on the conveyer and gone through the metal detectors. Her father rounded the group up to make sure they know what was going on. "We fly from here to Moscow, where we land for refueling, then to the airport in Kyoto."

"Come on, Dad, we flew all the way out here when we moved, I think we know what is going to happen."

"Hiroki, you were a toddler when we flew." Mrs. Ishiyama laughed.

"I still remember! I'm so excited to get on. I'm so close to beating the Zombie Wizard on Tales of Esmerelda. Why can't I just play right now?"

"Now Hiroki, you know I don't like you walking around staring at a screen. Calm down when we get on the plane and make sure you keep the sound down on your Game Pad." Mr. Ishiyama warned.

"I know, that's why I brought headphones. But Yumi! Aren't you going to miss your bo-o-o-oyfriend?" Hiroki crooned.

"Shut up Hiroki! He's not my boyfriend!" Yumi received several disapproving looks, from both her parents and people around them, and blushed.

"Hiroki, keep quiet about your sister and her boyfriend, you will have a girlfriend when you get older." Mrs. Ishiyama scolded.

_He's not my boyfriend._ Yumi scowled.

"A girlfriend? Ew." Hiroki wrinkled his nose.

"What about Milly? You don't think she's 'ew', now do you?" Yumi teased, happy she got her revenge.

"Shut up!" Hiroki blurted.

"Hiroki!" Mrs. Ishiyama chided furiously.

-( ( • ) )-

They soon boarded the airplane, taking their seats. In the cockpit of the plane, a flight attendant dissolved into a black mist and dove into the controls of the plane. The pilot and co-pilot soon walked in and took their seats. Doing the usual pilot checklist and informing the passengers of the trip and to fasten their seat belts, they soon lifted the plane off without any trouble, despite Xana's presence.

-( ( • ) )-

In Jeremie's dorm room, they sat around, talking about the mission to Sector 5. "We'll go tonight, and also go through with our plan." Jeremie winked at Ulrich and William, but Aelita didn't notice.

"Sounds great. You know, I'm glad to see you weren't serious about a temporary member, but that you are serious about getting Odd back." Aelita beamed. William and Ulrich exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"Plus, the Super Scan shows nothing, and that_ is _a good sign."

"Or a sign that Xana is doing his bidding with Odd, like making him my replacement." William warned.

"I hope not." Ulrich shook his head. "Fighting on Lyoko will be hard enough without Odd and Yumi. Imagine without Yumi and with Odd, except he's on the other side."

"That's why I've been working on the Skid harder than ever, and why we're going to Sector 5 tonight." Jeremie nodded.

"Last time we lost someone, we couldn't find them on the Skid. We needed a special program." Ulrich glanced at William.

"That's only if Xana has him."

"If Xana has him, I feel bad for Odd. Maybe you could come to Lyoko with us." William suggested.

"He's right, Jeremie, you need to come to Lyoko with us. I know you don't like it, but surely you can fight a little."

"I will never go back there, I look absolutely ridiculous." Ulrich laughed; he had been there for the few occasions Jeremie was virtualized. He was, indeed, ridiculous.

"You did it to save your friends before, so don't say you would never go back there." Aelita scolded playfully.

"And to apologize to you, there are some things important enough for me to go there, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Jeremie shook his head no.

"Come on, Jeremie, give me and Ulrich time to train you. You could become a great Kankrelat Killer." William laughed.

"If you hate your clothes so much then give them a redesign like you did for ours." Aelita offered.

"No way, that's just not happening and that's that." Jeremie crossed his arms and set his jaw.

"Whatever you say, Peter Pan." Ulrich gave one last jab. "I wonder if Yumi is in Japan yet." He dialed her number.

-( ( • ) )-

On the airplane, Yumi ignored her phone, for something serious was going on. The pilot's voice filled the air. "Uh...we seem to have hit some turbulence, please keep your seat belts on until notified otherwise."

"Hiroki, for the millionth time, get down!" Yumi hissed.

"Aw, come on, it was just getting fun." Hiroki hopped off of his perch, the folding panel used to hold food, or in this case, a young Japanese boy in the ninth grade, from which he could see his surroundings better.

"Hiroki, that was dangerous, now get your seat belt on." Mrs. Ishiyama scolded. She and Mr. Ishiyama were in the seat in front of the two kids, trusting Yumi to keep an eye on Hiroki. He had told Hiroki and Yumi to behave, not that he was worried about Yumi, but Hiroki could be hyper at times.

"Listen to the pilot or I'll leave you in Moscow." Mr. Ishiyama growled. Hiroki put his seat belt on. He knew his dad wouldn't really leave him in Moscow, or at least he hoped so, but once they got to Japan, he knew he might get grounded.

"Okay, please remain calm, what is happening is normal, you may notice the plane has turned north and is moving towards Orly Airport. This is...uh, don't panic."

"What is going on?" Yumi looked out the window; the sun was to the left, instead of behind them. She got her call phone out and saw that Ulrich called, but she had no SOS XANA messages. She called him back. "Ulrich, is it Xana?" She whispered it secretively.

"Is what Xana?"

"The plane just did something weird, and the pilots keep telling us not to panic."

"I don't know, let me ask Jeremie." They hung up and Ulrich turned to Jeremie. "Yumi says Xana is attacking her, are there any towers activated?"

"Of course not, Ulrich. The Super Scan would have popped up if there were."

"Then how do we stop it?" Ulrich's words were caught in his throat. If Xana was attacking Yumi and they couldn't stop it, would Xana succeed?

"If she says Xana is attacking, maybe…" Jeremie turned around and started typing. Yumi heard clicking and clacking in the background.

"What? What are you doing, Jeremie?" Ulrich looked over Aelita's head.

"Well, maybe Xana is using a different signal, like how used to, I couldn't detect when Franz Hopper activated a tower. I've changed the range of frequency that the Super Scan looks for. If it doesn't find anything, then Xana isn't attacking."

"Then that means there's a problem with the plane itself and we can't do anything about it. There'll still be a problem with it even if we go to the Factory right now and launch a return."

"Figures." Yumi sighed and went to hang up. "Bye."

"Good luck." Ulrich hung up. If this wasn't Xana's doing, then Yumi would die. A return to the past wouldn't change that. Ulrich turned his phone back on and called Yumi. "Yumi, you are positive it's Xana?"

"Yes! The pilot finally gave up, and told us the controls, well, he's not controlling them! We are flying towards Paris right now and if we don't stop we might crash!" Yumi was frantic.

"Jeremie can't find any towers activated, he's doing something else now but if we don't find an activated tower…"

"Then there's nothing we can do to stop this."

"Hey Ulrich, ask her who she voted for. If this is Xana then we absolutely need a temporary member to stop this attack." Jeremie barked.

"What?!" Aelita stood up as Ulrich relayed the message to Yumi. "I told you I don't approve of a temporary member, because Odd can never be replaced! Is that why you asked me who I like the most?!"

"Then we'll be adding a member and then taking them back out if Odd comes back!" Jeremie shot back.

"Not if! When!" Aelita screamed as Yumi's choice came through to Ulrich.

"That's my vote. But if this isn't Xana...Oh Ulrich, I don't want to die, Ulrich, make it stop!"

"I can't Yumi, I, I..."

"Oh no, two jets just came up alongside us!" Ulrich heard some weird noises, some screaming, and then nothing.

"Yumi! Yumi!" He heard a click.

"Uh no, I found a Tower. Xana was just masking the frequency using the Tower to get to the Super Scan long enough to give him basic control." Jeremie explained as Aelita pouted.

"Good for you." she growled, prompting a glare from Jeremie.

"Xana won't be able to do this again, though, I just locked him out of the process the same way I did with the Return to the Past program. Fool me once, shame on you, Xana. There won't be an opportunity to fool me twice."

"Fine. I guess you already have my vote. I'm going to the Factory, Ulrich, you come with me. We can go to Lyoko and get a head start on that Tower. You two can go get our new member to come to Lyoko.

"Alright, William, so the choices were Sissi, Jim, Milly Solovioff and Tamiya Diop, Alexandre Du'Rona, Heidi Klinger, Christoph M'Bala and Hiroki. Hiroki's out of the question since he's not here. There's...one vote for Sissi, one for Alex, one for Jim..." Jeremie counted them off on his phone.

-( ( • ) )-

"We've got to hurry! I lost Yumi last time I called, she said something about jets flying up and then there was screaming." Ulrich panted as he and Aelita ran across the grounds.

"Jets? What could Xana be up to this time?" Aelita wondered, still annoyed.

"Xana took over the plane Yumi was on! They're flying towards Paris. Maybe the military is going to shoot them down, keep them from flying into the Capital Building." Although Ulrich was already worried, he seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation as his sprint took an increase in speed.

"Let's take a taxi. It doesn't matter if we get caught leaving school grounds, we need to get to the Factory, fast!" Aelita and Ulrich turned out the gate and ran over two streets to the nearest major street. They stood on the curb and hailed a cab.

-( ( • ) )-

A few moments later, they arrived in front of the Factory. Ulrich pulled out a wad of Euros and gave them to the driver. "Keep the change!" The duo burst out of the cab, leaving the taxi driver with fifty when the cost wasn't even twenty. They took the elevator down to the control room, giving Aelita time to check the Super Scan.

"Okay, the tower is in the Ice Sector. I'll get us as close as possible." Aelita sent the Overwing and Overbike and started the countdown. They took the ladder and waited in the Scanners. The powerful wind drifted upward within the Scanners as they floated upward and spun. The wind blew with more force than before, and their molecular structure broke apart and recomposed on Lyoko in the form of two wireframes. They landed by the vehicles, got on, and flew over the ice floes quickly, with no immediate resistance.

"Looks like two Tarantulas, the Dark Angel and a Megatank guarding the Tower." Aelita observed as the duet waited behind a large ice formation.

"I wish I could call Yumi, see if the jets are still there."

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi called just as Jeremie was about to state the results to William. "Please tell me you found the Tower!" Yumi was no longer worried about being quiet, for everyone else was far too busy begging whatever god or gods they believed in to spare them.

"We did, Ulrich and Aelita went to the Factory and me and William were about to give the lucky winner the news."

"The pilot told us to call our loved ones if they weren't on board; he said the jets will shoot us down if we get too close to the Capital Building. Please, if you guys don't deactivate the Tower in time, tell Ulrich…"

"He already knows, Yumi."

"Good bye, Jeremie."

"Don't say it like that, Yumi, they _will_ deactivate the tower in time." There was a click, and Jeremie hung his phone up. He turned to his desktop and brought up the news.

"As you just saw moments ago the hijacked airplane is being escorted by two jets. Reports say it was not a violent takeover, but someone has taken control of the plane by remote. Whoever you are, whatever reason you are doing this, please stop! There are innocent people on board, if you are an engineer who has a grudge against the airline, please give control back to the pilots. The military has been given permission to shoot the plane down if it gets within one kilometer of the Capital Building."

"Hurry up, guys...you only have a few minutes before the plane gets shot down..." Jeremie begged the two on Lyoko, although they couldn't hear him.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich was busy blocking the lasers being fired from a Tarantula but still had his mind on Yumi. Aelita was firing off Energy Fields but the Dark Angel kept keeping her away. "Aelita, could you use your Creativity to take out one of them?"

"I don't know, Ulrich, I haven't used it since the Ice and Forest Sectors got corrupted and recreated. They might be different now." Aelita closed her eyes and began the humming to try to split the ground beneath a Tarantula.

-( ( • ) )-

"Do you swear to keep the secret?" Jeremie crossed his arms and looked at the person on the other side of the hallway.

-( ( • ) )-

Nothing happened at first. "I'm sorry...I can't do it." A few seconds later, the ground below the Tarantula was suddenly deleted, and the monster fell through. "Nevermind!"

-( ( • ) )-

"Great. Now, do you understand that when you are virtualized, I will add a small failsafe that, if triggered, will erase your memories on Lyoko and of Returns to the Past? And do you understand that, when Odd comes back, we might let you keep your memory, but if you betray our secret or become too much of a nuisance, we will activate the failsafe?"

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich blocked the Dark Angel's continuous lasers, and was forced to take on all three monsters at once when the Megatank shot a blast and the remaining Tarantula turned its sights from Aelita to him. He made a valiant effort to block all three, but soon succumbed to the onslaught.

-( ( • ) )-

"Good. Welcome to the team, for now. Let's go." William interjected, and the three took off.

-( ( • ) )-

"Ulrich, are you there? I need to get to the tower and I know how." Aelita breathed as she jerked the Overwing aside to dodge a Megatank blast.

"Aelita! Don't do anything stupid! If you get devirtualized, Yumi..." Ulrich warned.

"Just trust me!" Aelita was zooming around, dodging the lasers. Ulrich watched her on the map.

"Just be careful, please. For Yumi's sake." Aelita, on the Overwing, kept flying around and dodging lasers. Finally, she flew away and the Tarantulas stopped firing.

Jeremie arrived in the Control Room. "The other two are going down to the Scanner Room, what's going on?" he confronted Ulrich.

"I don't know what she's doing, but she isn't abandoning the mission, she won't let Yumi die...will she?" Ulrich was obviously worried as he handed Jeremie the headset.

Aelita turned around on the Overwing then charged the tower. "Aelita, no! You're going to get devirtualized if you take just three shots!" Jeremie cautioned as he brought up William's ID Card as well as a blank one, ready to begin the transfer as soon as Aelita would turn around, if she did at all.

"Exactly. I can take three hits." Aelita gained more and more speed, not worried about the lasers flying by her. "Jeremie, when I say so, dematerialize the Overwing."

"If you say so, Aelita." Jeremie hoped her plan would work. If it did, Yumi would be saved. If Aelita was hit by the Tarantulas or the Megatank, Yumi wouldn't make it, nor would all the other innocent people. Hiroki, the Ishiyama parents, the pilots...

"Now!" Jeremie devirtualized the Overwing. Aelita got hit, once, twice, then she disappeared from his map, just before reaching the tower.

"No! She didn't make it!" Jeremie screamed, and Ulrich practically collapsed. Aelita disappeared off of the map; her planned suicide dive into the tower must've failed.

"I made it, Jeremie; just give me a few more seconds to deactivate the Tower." Her voice came from within the Tower.

-( ( • ) )-

In the airplane a father held his kids in his arms. His wife was crying but he wasn't. He had to be strong for his family.

Mr. Ishiyama looked out the window and saw a jet prepare to fire a missile. He closed his eyes, and a tear rolled out. Suddenly there was a jerk and the plane shot upward. At first the passengers panicked, thinking the missile hit, but there was no explosion.

"We have control of the plane again, please don't shoot us!" The jet stayed by the plane but didn't fire again. The plane slowed down and flew away from the Capital Building. "We are planning on landing at the nearest airport; please remain seated with your seat belts on."

"Thank you." Mr. Ishiyama said back to the pilot, though he couldn't hear, too relieved that their family would live.

"What was that, Honey?" Mrs. Ishiyama asked.

"I...I'm thankful we're safe."

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita was transferred back to Earth, and the group watched the news. The new member hung back in the shadow of the Holomap, the 3D image casting a silhouette over their frame.

"You saw it here first, a jet fired upon the airplane but missed when the airplane shot up into the sky. The airplane seems to be back under control of the pilots. The jets have not received orders to stand down yet but are escorting the airplane to the Orly Airport to get the passengers off and to let investigators find the device used to control the airplane by remote. Whoever did this, thank you for releasing control. You will be punished when caught, but you won't have murder on your soul."

"We did it. You did it, Aelita." Ulrich congratulated gratefully. She stopped staring sadly at the new member, stopped thinking of Odd being replaced, and smiled.

"It was close. I was hit and I didn't even know if I was going to devirtualize."

"But you did it, Aelita. It was reckless, dangerous, but it worked." William put in. Ulrich got his cell phone out and called Yumi.

"She isn't answering. Why won't she answer? We stopped Xana, didn't we?"

"According to the news, we did. Maybe she turned it off after I got done talking to her." Jeremie suggested.

"You talked to her? What did she say?" Jeremie smiled at Ulrich.

"Good luck."

-( ( • ) )-

The next day, Yumi and her family returned to their home after canceling their flight to Japan. After unpacking their luggage, Mr. Ishiyama got his family together in the kitchen.

"Children, you will be going to church this Sunday. Your mother will take you." he ordered.

"Uh, why, Dad? I heard how boring church is. It's just some old guy droning on about another old guy who died then came back to life and flew off into the sky. If I want to see flying zombies I'll watch Zombie XDS on Saturday mornings."

"You will start going this Sunday, Hiroki. You too, Yumi."

"Will you come with us too, Honey?" Mrs. Ishiyama tilted her head.

"I can't, not this Sunday. I have to deal with work and tell them I won't be taking my vacation time after all." he explained.

"Dad, can I go to the school really fast? I want to see my friends, let them know I am okay." Yumi pleaded.

"Yes, Yumi, but you will go to church this Sunday with your mother and brother." he affirmed.

"I will, Dad, don't worry."

"It's my job to worry about you, Yumi." Yumi left the house while simultaneously calling Ulrich, who was with the others; they agreed to meet in Jeremie's room.

-( ( • ) )-

She arrived and knocked on the door, opening it to a surprise. After she opened it, Ulrich practically ran and jumped to hug Yumi.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Yumi." Yumi blushed, but noticed Ulrich didn't.

"It's okay, Ulrich, you did it."

"The Princess is the one who saved the day; we were just there for the show." Ulrich let go of Yumi and closed the door behind her.

"Hey, so who's the lucky winner who gets to come to Lyoko?" Yumi looked from face to face, noting Aelita's was scowling at the subject.

"Oh, didn't Ulrich tell you on the phone?"


	10. Episode 131: An Odd Hunt

Jeremie had finished work on the Skidbladnir once again, and the five Lyoko Warriors were in the internet looking for Odd.

"Jeremie, you realize we could search forever and not find him, right?" Ulrich was nervous and tired. They had searched for nearly four hours. Xana hadn't sent monsters yet but it was only a matter of time, they knew.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"I, no...I just mean we have to have a better way. Can't you make a program to find him?"

"I tried that and it didn't work, remember? He's lost on the internet, maybe. For all we know, Xana destroyed him or took him for a new Avatar and just hasn't used him yet. It's a shot in the dark that he's in the internet. He could have been destroyed immediately, even."

"Then why are we looking?" Ulrich missed his friend but they were wasting time. Jeremie could have worked on a new program to find Odd. How, he didn't know. He wasn't a genius like Jeremie.

"Because Aelita and Yumi survived. They were only in the Digital Sea for a minute or so before Franz saved her and before we deployed the program, respectively, but that's two of us who have been in the Digital Sea and not been destroyed. It's the best chance we have."

"Yes, but I don't remember being in the Digital Sea. I don't know what happened to me when I went in it." Aelita said from the Skid's cockpit. The area went red. "Xana's sending monsters."

"Not good." William looked around. This would be his first time fighting in the internet in a long while, and he wasn't very good the last time.

"We can handle this." Yumi prepared to be released.

"Nav Skids away." Aelita pulled down all but Odd's lever.

"Kongres." Ulrich chased after one and fired torpedoes.

"Whoa." William dodged a laser. He turned the Nav Skid and fired a torpedo. It missed the Kongre, but nearly hit the Skid.

"Be careful, William." Aelita saw the torpedo pass, only a meter from her pod. "Jeremie, this search is over."

"Almost ten at night. I lost track of time." Jeremie waited while the others destroyed the Kongres and came back to Lyoko's hub.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich snuck into his room after hiding from Jim.

"Hey hi!" The Odd clone's loud yell startled Ulrich into a jump.

"Shut up." Ulrich shook his head. The clone had underwear on its head and was trying to wear a shirt like a pair of pants, and had Kiwi on his shoulder like a parrot. "What is wrong with you?"

"You with wrong what is wrong with what you?"

"Get dressed and go to bed." Ulrich sat down on his bed and felt a wet spot. "Kiwi!" The dog yipped from his perch. "It's not your fault Odd's not here to walk you, I guess." Ulrich looked at the clone. "We're switching beds."

"Bed switching." The clone hopped onto Ulrich's bed, knocking Kiwi off his shoulder. The dog whimpered and rubbed against Ulrich's leg.

"You miss him, don't you? So do I, Kiwi." Ulrich picked Kiwi up and pat him. "If only you could find him like you do on Earth."

"If could Earth miss him find like could Kiwi Earth." The clone babbled from Ulrich's bed.

"Shut! Up!...Wait..." Ulrich's heart almost stopped beating. "Why can't you? Odd wanted to take you to Lyoko before. Maybe now you'll get to go." Ulrich set Kiwi down and got his phone out. "Jeremie, I have an idea."

"What idea?" Jeremie was confused.

"A way to find Odd."

"How?"

"We use Kiwi."

"Again, how?"

"He has found Odd before. He sniffed him out on Earth, why not on Lyoko?" Jeremie sighed.

"There is no smell on Lyoko."

"But, maybe, maybe Kiwi can. It's a long shot but it's an idea. Remember when Odd fused with Kiwi and had dog senses?" Ulrich reasoned.

"It's a bad idea. But you're right about one thing. It's an idea. But if Kiwi is on Lyoko and Odd is in the internet how does he sniff him out there?"

"I uh, don't know. But if we want to test it out we can take him to Lyoko and see if he is able to find where Odd was knocked off."

"If he does that, then your idea might work. But how do we control him? We could have Kiwi running around and jumping into the Digital Sea himself." Jeremie started to think of a plan.

"The rest of us can send him back if you can't materialize him in time."

"Okay, well, we'll work on it tomorrow." Ulrich heard a click.

"You hear that Kiwi? You're going to Lyoko tomorrow." Kiwi barked twice. "Shhh! We can't have Jim hearing you." Ulrich opened up the drawer Odd kept Kiwi in, and the dog hopped in, ready for bed.

-( ( • ) )-

The next day after classes, Ulrich smuggled Kiwi out of the school and to the Factory. Yumi and William were left with the task of bringing the Odd clone to the Factory to keep him out of trouble, and getting the new member to come in case they were needed. "Come on, Pea Brain." Yumi tugged at the clone's arm, trying to pull it along.

"Pea Brain come on brain pea on." William pushed it along in an attempt to help Yumi.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie set up a new transfer program. It would land Kiwi near where Odd was knocked off of the edge in the Desert Sector. If he went to the exact spot like Ulrich suggested, then maybe Kiwi could help them. Aelita was sent already, and waited for the experiment to start. _If this works, Odd can be found soon..._

-( ( • ) )-

William and Yumi arrived with the clone and the new member.

"Go sit in the corner with your new friend!" Yumi coaxed.

"Okay." The clone sat down, and the new member cast a shadow over the clone momentarily as they walked over to keep it in check.

Ulrich set Kiwi in the middle Scanner. "Sit, Kiwi." Kiwi rolled over onto his back. "That works. Send him, Jeremie." The Scanner doors closed and when they opened, no more Kiwi. Ulrich stepped into the left Scanner, and soon he landed on Lyoko. "Whoa!" Ulrich drew his swords out.

"What does he look like? What is he doing?" Jeremie could only see a circle on the screen.

"He's running around, sniffing at the ground. He, he's huge." Kiwi was as tall as Ulrich, much like when Xanafied a few attacks ago. He looked like Kiwi always did, except bigger and faster. "He's running over to the edge, should I stop him?"

"I'm sending Yumi and William." Jeremie let their cards appear and fill up with color, and continued to watch on the screen. "He stopped, what is he doing?"

"He's looking over the edge where Odd fell off." Ulrich walked over, slowly. "Good Kiwi, but don't jump in." Ulrich approached the gigantic dog as Yumi and William run over to him. "Aelita, where are you?"

"Over here."

Ulrich looked over the edge and saw Aelita flying around with her pink wings. "What are you doing?! That's dangerous!"

"Maybe...maybe Odd is still around here. Kiwi came right to the edge. That means he knows where Odd fell off." Aelita flew over the Digital Sea, hoping to see anything that might be Odd.

"We searched the Digital Sea already, Aelita. He's not there."

"Maybe we missed him! We have to look." Aelita was getting desperate. Every day Odd was gone was another day he could be lost forever, if he wasn't already.

"Kiwi can smell Odd, but it doesn't help us. He can't be in the internet without being in a Nav Skid and that would block his sense of smell." Yumi noted.

"Well, now that we know he can smell Odd, maybe I can work on something special for him. A special Nav Skid that will allow him to smell in the internet or something. It will take time but we can certainly try it." Jeremie offered.

"We have to try it. We can't have the clone running around forever. Everyone at school has noticed how weird he's been acting. And the art teacher keeps asking about his next movie. He'll know something is wrong if Odd doesn't make one soon." Aelita flew back up to the Sector.

"Then I'll start working on it now. If you help, Aelita, maybe we can modify a Nav Skid. That would cut down on the time it takes to get Kiwi into the internet." Jeremie brought the others back to Earth and started to work.

-( ( • ) )-

Three days later, after a minor Xana attack, Jeremie was sure he had done it. Now all they had to do was see if it worked. He sent the group to Sector 5 and they stood on the pedestal, where an extra pad was added. "Make sure he stands on the pedestal on the far left, so that he lands in the right Nav Skid." Ulrich told Kiwi to sit and he lied down on the pedestal.

"Good enough. We're ready, Jeremie." Jeremie sent them into the Skid.

"Good luck, guys. Not much I can do once you go into the internet." Jeremie watched and waited with his fingers crossed.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita piloted the Skid through the Digital Sea and out into the internet. Kiwi started to bark. "Jeremie, what do we do?"

"Release the Nav Skids sans Odd's old one. I programmed Kiwi's Nav Skid to be thought controlled. I don't know if it will work, but if it does, he should be able to lead you to Odd." Jeremie crossed his fingers hopefully.

Aelita released the Nav Skids and Kiwi barreled away. "Follow him!" Aelita zoomed after him, as did the others.

-( ( • ) )-

Kiwi's Nav Skid bolted through the internet. His barking was getting annoying, but the others hoped it merely meant he was close to Odd. He zoomed around a server when the area turned red.

"Xana's sending monsters." Aelita worried. "Jeremie, does Kiwi's Nav Skid have any weapons?"

"Yes, but I don't think he could use them. You better get everyone back to the Skid and get out of there."

"How do we make Kiwi do that?" Jeremie went pale.

"I, I didn't think about that." _Kiwi's a dog, how can they get him to understand? _"Protect the Skid, and Kiwi...maybe he'll know it's dangerous and flee from the monsters."

"Got it." William flew near Kiwi's Nav Skid. "Be a good boy, Kiwi." He laughed a little, but stopped when he saw a Kongre.

Yumi and Ulrich flew near the Skidbladnir to protect it. Two Kongres swam up. "I'll take left, you take right." Ulrich took off after a Kongre.

"Okay." Yumi went after her own target.

"Whoa, a Shark is coming." Aelita noticed it and moved the Skid away from it. It fired a torpedo but missed.

"There's too many of them!" William was chasing the Kongre he saw when two more appeared. "It's like they're everywhere!" He fired at one and missed.

"Calm down, William." Ulrich aimed and fired. He destroyed the Kongre he was chasing after, then broke off to help William.

"Xana obviously didn't want you near there. I'll try to mark it so we can go back later." Jeremie clicked around on the on-screen map of the Digital Sea.

"Watch out, Ulrich!" Yumi saw two Sharks come up from behind Ulrich. There were three Sharks and four Kongres, at the very least. She fired a torpedo and hit a Shark, dropping the number down to two.

"Thanks, Yumi." Ulrich dodged torpedoes from the Sharks as William tried to destroy the Kongres.

William dove and two Kongres followed him. He moved through the internet, dodging lasers, when he saw a small orb. He dove around it and saw the Eye of Xana emblazed on it. "I found something with Xana's symbol on it!" William flew back up to it, using it as a shield from the Kongres.

"Describe it."

"It's round, a white orb with a red eye of Xana on it." The Kongres swam around the other side. "Mark it on your map or whatever, I can't stay near it!" William took off as the Kongres chased him.

Kiwi's Nav Skid zipped around aimlessly as a Shark fired torpedoes at it. Yumi saw her chance and destroyed the monster.

Ulrich fired a torpedo and destroyed a Kongre when William shot by with two Kongres on his tail. Ulrich turned and fired at the Kongres, destroying one.

"I think he's sending more. Just get out of there." Jeremie saw the screen flash, then one of the chat dialogs appeared with a message on the bottom.

"Surrender Aelita or die."

"We would never giver her to you, Xana." Jeremie typed.

"Then _he_ will die, as will you." The dialog closed.

"He really doesn't want you guys near there."

"Ya think?!" Ulrich noticed four more Kongres coming. "Kiwi, here boy, come on, Kiwi!" The Nav Skid with Kiwi in it turned and came toward Ulrich. "Good boy, come on, follow me." Ulrich moved away from the area and Kiwi followed. "Guys, cover me." Ulrich turned his head and saw the Kongres weren't giving chase.

The other two Nav Skids rejoined the Skidbladnir and it took off after Ulrich. The Kongres and Sharks didn't follow.

-( ( • ) )-

They got back to Lyoko safely and Jeremie brought them back to Earth. In the Control Room, they had a meeting, with the new member and the Odd clone having gone back to Kadic.

"There is definitely something there he doesn't want us finding." Jeremie had it marked on the map and was staring at it intently.

"Maybe we were close to finding Odd." Aelita stared at the screen, wondering if she had been _that_ close to saving her friend.

"I saw an orb with Xana's symbol on it. Maybe Odd was in it." William reminded.

"I don't know. I mean, why would he keep Odd like that and not use him as a host like he did with you?" Jeremie wondered aloud.

"Jeremie, Odd would be resistant to Xana's possessions. William had just been to Lyoko for the first time." Yumi noted as she saw how scared William was. He was still terrified of being possessed again.

"Except what Xana did was a lot more than a specter possession. He used William as a sort of avatar. William was Xana, for a time."

"But I, he gave me orders. I don't know how, or remember how, though. It was just like he sent a message to my brain and I followed it."

"It was still more than a simple possession. Even with Odd being resistant, Xana could still make him his new host." The Super Scan started to beep. "Everyone, get back down to the Scan-" A black mist burst from the screen and attacked Jeremie.

"Jeremie!" Aelita rushed to his side but couldn't help him.

"Get...get to Lyoko...Ulrich, call..." Jeremie struggled to resist the possession. He fell to his knees, and the specter moved from his body, converging in his head and invading his brain. Ulrich backed away and got his cell phone out as Jeremie gasped and made choking sounds.

"It's Ulrich. We need you, get to the Factory. Leave the clone, we need you ASAP." Ulrich's words were shaky.

"Surrender Aelita or I will kill Jeremie and Odd." A distorted voice flaoted out from Jeremie's mouth. He grabbed at his head, trying to force Xana out, but the specter was deep in his cerebral cortex. "Surrender her, or I will crush his brain and release Odd into the internet."

"No way, Xana!" Yumi got in a fighting position.

"Yumi, stop." Aelita saw Odd's ID Card, filled up with color but pixellated, on the screen. Hers appeared next to his, but hers wasn't yet filled up, as she was obviously on Earth. Xana was already prepared to virtualize her. "I...I'll go, Xana."

"No, Aelita, you can't do it!" William tried to stop her.

"William, it is my choice. To save Odd and Jeremie, I'll do it." Aelita walked into the elevator, and Yumi joined her.

"Aelita, don't do this. How do you know he will release them? He could take you and kill them."

"I don't know. But if there is a chance to save Odd, and Jeremie, I'll do it." The elevator stopped in the Scanner Room and the doors opened.

"Stop, Aelita, please!" Yumi grabbed her arm but Aelita pulled away. "I won't let you do this." Yumi got ready to attack Aelita to knock her out, but she stopped in front of the Scanner.

"Xana, release Odd. Give us Odd, and I'll get in the Scanner. You'll still have Jeremie as collateral." A black mist appeared and words formed in the air.

"No."

"Then I won't get in the Scanner."

"I will kill them both! Get in the Scanner."

"Give us Odd first. Unless you don't have him."

"I do. Get in the Scanner." Aelita heard Jeremie shout out in pain a floor above her and Yumi. "Or I'll kill him."

"Give us Odd first! We can't trust you, Xana, but you can trust me. I'll get in the Scanner if you give us Odd back first." she promised.

"No, I'll keep him for now." The black mist disappeared.

"Jeremie!" William yelled. The boy collapsed in front of Ulrich and William. "Are you okay, Jeremie?" Jeremie started to get up.

"My head, it hurts. What happened?" His eyes were dilated and bloodshot. A little bit of blood oozed out of his left nostril. The room seemed to spin and he collapsed again.

"No, get him in a Scanner." Ulrich ordered. William dragged Jeremie over to the closed elevator doors and pushed the button. When it came up, he helped Jeremie into it and took it down to the Scanner Room.

"Is, is he okay?" Aelita saw the blood smeared across his face.

"He passed out. Ulrich wants to send him to Lyoko."

"That will heal him, I think." Aelita rushed to the elevator and took it up to the Control Room. She went over to the control panel and sent Jeremie to Lyoko, then materialized him. "Is he okay?" she spoke into the headset, her voice filling the Scanner Room.

"He looks fine to me." Yumi smiled as Jeremie stumbled out of the Scanner.

"Absolutely ridiculous." He shook his head. "What happened?"

-( ( • ) )-

"She refused to go unless he gave us Odd first?" Jeremie asked, and Yumi nodded. "Even though I, he, he had me?"

"She knew we couldn't trust him. He would have kept Odd and killed you even if she had gone, probably."

"Maybe. But Xana has kept deals before. Remember when he possessed Delmas and had you and Odd in that warehouse? Or the Marabounta alliance?" Jeremie looked over to the elevator as the doors opened. _Aelita was willing to let Xana kill me._ _She wanted Xana to release Odd first. Why didn't she ask Xana to release me?_

"Jeremie! Are you okay?" Aelita sprinted over and hugged him.

"I think so." Jeremie pushed Aelita away. "I, I need to go lie down, my head still hurts." Jeremie stumbled to the Elevator and went up to the Factory floor.

"I, I hope he's okay." Aelita bit on her lower lip in worry.

"That was risky, Aelita." She turned towards William.

"I know, but Odd is lost. It would be a lot easier to help Jeremie, since he was right there. But Odd is, we don't know where he is. If I could have forced Xana to turn him over, we just would have had to figure out how to save Jeremie."

"Would you have really gone to Lyoko and turned yourself over to Xana?" Ulrich asked incredulously. Aelita shook her head.

"I would have fought him until he released Jeremie. I don't know what he wants from me this time. Maybe...it has to be!"

"What has to be?" Yumi asked. Obviously, she and the others were confused.

"My father is still alive. Xana knows it and wanted to use me to bring him back out."

"But, he...you saw him die."

"I thought I did but, maybe he was just tricking Xana. He has to be alive. That is the only reason I can think of for Xana wanting me."

"I can think of another reason." William felt sick just thinking about it. "He wants you as a host."

"But, I'm resistant."

"Jeremie already said what he did with me was different. And if he takes you as a host we would have no one to deactivate Towers. He got all of our source codes when he first returned." William put his hand on his stomach. "It would be the worst thing that could happen."

"The worst thing is if someone dies. We could try to save Aelita if she is taken." Ulrich looked at Aelita. "But we have to be extra careful from now on. We can't lose her." Ulrich felt something rub against his leg and looked down to see Kiwi. "You did good, Kiwi." Ulrich knelt down and picked him up.

-( ( • ) )-

The elevator ran, and Yumi was the first to watch it open. "Good, you made it without any trouble." she greeted the occupant. "But the attack is over."

"Next time, we might be able to save Odd." Aelita bent over and scratched Kiwi on the head. "We will save him."


	11. Episode 132: An Odd Experiment

_A/N: __Hey guys! How's everyone enjoying 'An Odd Arc' so far? I decided to give you all a nice early chapter for Memorial Day in honor of those who fought and died for America. Of course, for those of you who aren't American, it's just another day, but hey, new chapter!  
I'm sure you're all just dying to know who our new recruit is, and this chapter you'll find out! I'm really hoping everything goes well with introducing a new Lyoko Warrior so be sure to review and let me know what you think. If anything can be improved be sure to tell me :)  
Also, a super big thank you to ObsessedwReading for her really nice reviews, I'm so glad you're enjoying the fanfic so far.  
Enjoy, my lovelies!_

After Xana's most recent attack on Jeremie's brain, the boy genius was trying to figure out how to make Kiwi useful. But when on Lyoko, Kiwi did nothing but run around and bark.

"William, Ulrich, this experiment is over." Jeremie brought the two, plus Kiwi, back while Aelita watched at his side.

-( ( • ) )-

The two warriors plus dog came up on the elevator a moment later, and Kiwi bounded out, curled up in a corner, and closed his eyes.

"What do you think?" William raised his eyebrows.

"Kiwi is useless." Jeremie stated flatly.

"He is not." Ulrich stared at him.

"He can't be controlled. Only Odd could control him, and even then, he's a dog. He's too stupid to help us."

"He is not stupid, Jeremie." Aelita looked over at Kiwi. "He's just worried about Odd, and when he's on Lyoko, he smells Odd but can't find him. You can't find him either. I guess that makes you both stupid."

"Aelita, I'm trying. You haven't found him, that doesn't make you stupid."

"I haven't tried to find him, nor do I have to. I am not stupid unless proven guilty." Aelita crossed her legs as she sat on the rim of the Holomap.

"You could try anyway, you know."

"Why should I? I didn't lose Odd." She blinked her eyes rapidly.

"You couldn't devirtualize him either."

"I missed him with my Energy Fields, but I tried. You just sat there whining about nonexistent errors." With this remark she flipped her hand dismissively.

"Those errors were there earlier, I was trying then, and I am still trying to bring him back! And I am not stupid."

"Well, trying isn't good enough! That clone is stupid too, and you made it. Why can't you make it better?" She pointed an accusing finger toward the empty elevator.

"I tried with the William clone, and it didn't work. If I had some help, maybe I could work on that, but I've been trying to find a way to make Kiwi be useful. I can't do everything on my own."

"You don't care if I help or not anyway. You said so yourself. You snuck behind my back to recruit a replacement for Odd!" Aelita waved a hand at the person across the room.

"Aelita, I was mad when I said that. I didn't mean it. I need help." There was a pregnant silence for a few seconds in which Aelita glared at him while the other Lyoko Warriors stood around staring as they had been for the duration of the argument. "Fine."

"Come on, Kiwi." Ulrich went over to Kiwi and picked him up. "I locked the clone up in the room, but who knows what he will do." Ulrich got on the elevator and waited for the others. Yumi and William got on after him. Yumi went to push the button but Aelita ran on before she could, then the new member boarded.

-( ( • ) )-

The next day, Ulrich was playing with Kiwi outside, when heard Jim. "Come on, Kiwi." He picked Kiwi up and tucked him inside of his shirt. He went into the woods to hide from Jim. "Hey," He felt Kiwi against his stomach. "When Odd first took you to Lyoko, he did it like this. He was in control, but so were you." Ulrich whispered. He had an idea. He'd have to wait to call Jeremie, though, as Jim was too close by to make noise.

After Jim walked away, Ulrich ran back to the dorm building. He started to run to Jeremie's room, but Jeremie wasn't there. He got his cell phone out and called Jeremie. "Jeremie, I have an idea."

"Is it any better than your Kiwi idea?"

"Even better. So here's what I'm thinking."

-( ( • ) )-

"That is absolutely insane."

"Yeah, but what do you think?"

"It might work, but who would be the one to merge with Kiwi? Are you willing to do it?" Jeremie asked.

"I...maybe."

"Call the others. We need to have a meeting." Jeremie decided.

"I'll call Aelita." Ulrich offered.

"Thank you." Ulrich hung up then called the others.

-( ( • ) )-

The Lyoko Warriors met in the Control Room. "Ulrich has another idea." Jeremie began. Yumi rolled her eyes.

"I hope it's better than your last one." she quipped.

"It is." Ulrich held up Kiwi. "Odd took Kiwi to Lyoko once. They were merged. They were a weird combination but Odd was in control but had some of Kiwi's stuff. If we did that again we could have Kiwi's sense of smell but a Warrior's control."

"Do you volunteer?" Aelita raised an eyebrow at Ulrich.

"I, well, I might."

"I'll do it." Everyone turned to the other side of the room.

"Really?" Ulrich was suspicious.

"Yep. I've never been to Lyoko, only been Scanned. I can fight really well on Earth, but I don't know what it's like on Lyoko. I somewhat know what a Nav Skid is like, but only because Ulrich compared it to a game. I've never actually piloted one. If I go merged with Kiwi, I can do something useful that won't slow you guys down."

"It's dangerous. It took me some time to figure out how to separate the two. It'll be faster this time, but still dangerous, and you can't be devirtualized by a monster or you'll be stuck fused. Are you sure?" Jeremie asked.

"It's dangerous. It took me some time to figure out how to separate the two. It'll be faster this time, but still dangerous, and you can't be devirtualized by a monster or you'll be stuck fused. Are you sure?" Jeremie asked.

"I trust you, Jeremie." The soon-to-be warrior's lips curled into a smile.

"And if you get stuck together, Ulrich or Aelita can walk you." William laughed, but the others didn't. "If Odd said that you would have laughed."

"Maybe." Ulrich looked at Yumi, wondering what she thought. He should have volunteered. She might have thought he was a coward because he hadn't.

"When can we do this? Tomorrow is Saturday, we'll have all day. I can't wait to see Lyoko." the newest member cut in.

"Sounds good to me." Yumi nodded.

"I'll be here." Aelita concurred.

"This is really brave of you, Alex. But if any monsters attack, do not engage them if you can help it. If you get devirtualized you won't like what happens." Jeremie warned. With an affirmative nod from Alex, the group, minus Jeremie, got on the elevator and left the Factory.

-( ( • ) )-

On the way back, Ulrich held Kiwi. The group plus Alex and Kiwi saw Jim by the garden shed almost immediately. "I have to hide him." Ulrich looked frantically for a place to put Kiwi.

"Hi Jim!" William sprinted over to the large teacher. "Hey, I was wondering something." William circled the gym teacher, getting him to turn his back to Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita and Alex.

"What is it?" Jim eyed the teen before him suspiciously as the four plus Kiwi snuck by.

"The others told me you had a boot camp and trained them and stuff. I'm real jealous. Did you really fight a beaver in Newfoundland?"

"It was Alberta, but yes. But I'd rather not talk about it."

"Why?"

"The nightmares. Those razor sharp teeth coming for my jugular. Why, if I hadn't…" The others began to run while William listened to his story.

-( ( • ) )-

On Saturday, the group was ready. Alex was obviously nervous, holding Kiwi against his gray shirt in the middle Scanner.

"Please don't pee on my pants..." he quietly begged the dog, and looked up. "If this goes wrong, I'll chase anyone who makes fun of me up a tree." He tried to joke, and forced a smile. Aelita gave a genuine smile at his joke, and he relaxed a bit. The Scanner doors closed around him.

"Transfer Alexàndre." He felt a small skyward draft blowing, pushing up anything that was relatively lightweight and loose, like his baggy pants and his hair. Rays and flecks of light accompanied the wind, and he squinted his eyes shut, as did Kiwi. The ID Card that Jeremie had used to Scan him earlier on began to fill with color.

"Transfer Aelita, Transfer Yumi. Scanner Alexàndre." His feet lifted off the ground, startling him slightly. A metallic ring inside the Scanner projected a strange band of light onto him, and he began to rotate as he floated upwards. His hands tightened around Kiwi. On Jeremie's screen, a wireframe formed from his features and filled in with green color.

"Scanner Aelita, Scanner Yumi. Virtualization." Wind and light from the Transfer phase burst back into the Scanner, stronger than before, flooding Alex's senses of hearing, sight and touch. Kiwi seemed to disappear from his arms as he reformed on Lyoko as a wireframe in a T-pose, several meters above the Desert Sector's ground.

The three senses that had been so assaulted in the Scanner, Alex felt return to him as the wireframe filled in with his features. He looked out over the Desert Sector and gasped in awe...then began to fall. He yelped in surprise and promptly landed on his rear.

"Did it work?" Jeremie asked cautiously.

"Ow, my ass..." Alex winced as he crawled back up. "That was really weird. It didn't really hurt, just kind of felt weird."

"That's Lyoko for you." Yumi gave a supportive smile. Now Alex opened his eyes and looked around the Desert Sector with astonishment.

"This is Lyoko? It's insane..." He looked at Yumi and Aelita. "You guys look like superheroes with your outfits."

"Your outfit is pretty slick too. Makes you look very handsome." Aelita complimented, looking to the sky with a 'take that' sort of expression.

"Excuse me?" Jeremie's voice filled Lyoko's air as Alex looked down at his own body.

His Lyoko clothes consisted of a form-fitting sleeveless black bodysuit, which showed his finely-built muscles nicely, with two green lines that started from his shoulders and converged on his chest in a ring with a green lightning bolt inside, going in one line straight down from the bottom of the ring. He had a slate-gray sash along his waist, like Ulrich's or Odd's on their upgrade, with a gray buckle on the left with blue edges and a green ring design on it. The sides of the suit were a dark green, going all the way down to his feet, with a blue line level with his kneecap that circled the knee and went down the middle of his leg. His shoes were black combat boots with green markings. His face looked pretty much the same, and his hair was still spiked up and out, but with a thin black headband over his forehead. His shoulders bore metallic green shoulder pads, and his hands completed the look with bright green bands around the wrists, black fingerless gloves with blue pads on the dorsum of his hand, and miniature gray tesla coils between his knuckles.

"I said his outfit makes him look handsome." Aelita repeated, her voice dripping venom.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." Alex raised his eyebrows playfully.

"Can you two please stop flirting and look for Odd? I swear, Aelita, this is so unlike you..."

"What are you going to do about it? Are you going to get jealous of Alex and throw him into the Digital Sea too? Just because you think I said something out of character?" Aelita growled.

"I can't believe you're still mad about that! I thought you were over it. And last I checked you hated the idea of Alex coming along." Jeremie threw his hands in the air in protest. As Ulrich and William's wireframes appeared and filled in, Alex noted the way they landed perfectly, keeping their balance. "Anyway, can you smell Odd?"

"I can try." Alex suddenly froze, his green-blue eyes wide. He sniffed the air, and ran at top speed to where Odd was knocked over.

"It worked, Jeremie, but it looks like Alex just lost control." William pulled his Zweihander from silver-black mist. "Should we send him back?"

"Wait." Alex shook his head. "Sorry. Got lost for a minute." He walked away from the edge, but looked back multiple times.

"Do you smell Odd?" Aelita was even more nervous than Alex was.

"Strangely...yes. Yeah, that's Odd. I think Kiwi wants to find him." Alex almost dropped to his hands and knees, but stopped himself. "I hear this weird creaking, like joints on a machine."

"That means that monsters are coming." Aelita explained.

"Then I better send the transporter to Sector 5." Jeremie entered code SCIPIO and the transporter appeared. Alex looked up at it in fearful awe and took a step back, flinching as the sphere engulfed the him and the other Warriors and whisked them off to Sector 5.

-( ( • ) )-

In Sector 5's arena, the Transporter arrived and dropped its contents off. Alex looked around with wonder as the room spun and slowly came to a stop, revealing the passage that would lead the Lyoko Warriors into the Core Zone.

"This way! The Skid isn't too far into Sector 5." ordered Aelita as she ran into the passage.

Alex looked around Sector 5 with astonishment. "There's five sectors? More than this crazy place and the desert? Damn..." As they ran to the elevator that would take them to the Skid, he tried to make conversation. "So you guys all have weapons? What could mine be?"

"We can't know anything you don't." Yumi pointed out. "You might have a weapon that you can't just pull out. You'll have to conjure it, sort of."

"I have energy fields which I create by cupping my hands, spreading my fingers and concentrating. And you saw William making his sword appear." Aelita explained.

"I wonder if I have something similar." Alex, while running, held his hands before him and concentrated. Green bolts of energy danced from the coils between his knuckles to his fingertips, and then between hands with an electric whir and crackle. "Whoa, awesome! Electrokinesis."

"That looks like more of a power than a weapon. See," Yumi pulled her fans out. "I have telekinesis as a power, but these tessen fans are my weapon. They work like boomerangs and can block lasers."

"Maybe I have a similar weapon." He let the electricity stop crackling and reached behind him. As his hands moved to his back, they brushed something along his sides. He pulled them out. "Whoa, pistols?" They were slender and dark gray blasters, with a rectangular shape. The front vertical bar of the 'rectangle' was a large handle-sized trigger that Alex could pull to fire a bullet from the end of the topmost horizontal bar. They looked as though they could be connected at the triggers.

"That means you have a projectile weapon like me and Odd." Yumi put in.

"You don't all use projectiles?"

"I use dual sabers." Ulrich answered. "You already saw William's Zweihander."

-( ( • ) )-

When they arrived at the Skidbladnir elevator, Alex was the first to get off at the top. "Kiwi knows this thing will take us to Odd." He was obviously anxious to get in, for he bit his lip and stared at the digital submarine.

"Hold on." Aelita asked politely as the others came up from behind.

"You have to stand on that pedestal right there, the one on the far left." Ulrich recalled getting Kiwi to lay down on that pedestal. Alex obeyed much easier than the dog had.

"Energize." Each Warrior disappeared and reformed in a Nav Skid, except for Aelita, who was in the cockpit. Alex gasped a bit as he reformed, looking around his Nav Skid with fright. Aelita piloted the Skid out of Sector 5 and soon they were in the Digital Sea. She piloted the Skid to the hub and dove in. "Alex, do you smell anything?"

"Whoa!" Alex was overwhelmed with all the smells as well as the beauty of the upside-down city that was the Digital Sea. "It's amazing here! This is the internet?"

"You bet." Jeremie answered.

Alex and Kiwi had a hard time picking out Odd's scent. "Move right a little, okay?"

"Alright." Aelita piloted the Skid in the direction Alex told her. "Where to from here?" Alex wasn't sure and made a confused face.

"Kiwi smells Odd, but there are so many other scents, it's hard to figure out where his goes." Alex concentrated on Odd's scent. "Go forward and stop when I say so." Aelita piloted the Skid as Alex gave her directions.

-( ( • ) )-

The group was absolutely lost. Odd's scent seemed to go on forever. "Can you hear me?" Jeremie called out to them.

"Barely. Alex, are you sure this is Odd's scent?" Aelita checked.

"Absolutely. Kiwi knows it's his scent." Alex got worried the further out they went, but Kiwi's excitement at following Odd's scent kept him going. "Left." Aelita started to turn the Skid when the area faded to red.

"Oh boy, what does that mean?" Alex asked as he tensed up.

"Xana's attacking." Ulrich prepared some torpedoes.

"I smell fish." Alex shook his head and cautiously grasped the controls.

"I'm ready." William affirmed.

"Be careful guys, you're really far away from Lyoko." Jeremie worried as Aelita detached all but one of the Nav Skids, the one being Odd's empty Nav Skid. "Don't get hit, Alex, if your Nav Skid's shields die you'll be lost just like Odd. And I don't know what'll happen if you're fused with Kiwi and get lost."Six Sharks appeared and fired torpedoes. The Nav Skids scurried about in the 'water' and dodged the torpedoes.

Alex looked around his Nav Skid for the right button and fired a torpedo of his own when a Kongre appeared near him. "It's not attacking?" The Kongre seemed to be motioning to him to follow. "Odd! His scent is a _lot _stronger now." The Kongre swam away and Alex followed it against his will, for Kiwi's instincts took control.

"What is he doing?!" Ulrich saw Alex follow a Kongre, but not attack it. "Guys, I think Alex turned on us."

"He did not, Ulrich, why would he? Kiwi probably took over. Kiwi likes to chase things." Yumi looked for Alex's Nav Skid but couldn't see it.

"We have to take out these Sharks!" William dodged a torpedo, turned sharply, and fired one back, hitting a Shark.

-( ( • ) )-

Alex followed the Kongre, trying to fight back for control, but Kiwi smelled Odd getting closer and closer and wouldn't let the young man take over. The Kongre stopped and Alex-Kiwi passed it. Now the Kongre was following them.

-( ( • ) )-

"Got it!" Ulrich fired a torpedo and destroyed a Shark. "If Alex were helping this would be easier!" Ulrich did a barrel roll to avoid a torpedo.

"Maybe the Kiwi part of him got scared." Yumi dodged a torpedo and fired one of her own. "Or he smelled Odd and took over." She did a semi-circle, turned, and fired a torpedo, destroying the Shark that was following her.

"Maybe you're right." William fired a torpedo, missing the Shark.

-( ( • ) )-

Alex was basically gone. Kiwi had taken over and was following Odd's scent. The Kongre behind him was is joined by two more, still following Alex-Kiwi. "Ruff, ruff!" Alex-Kiwi barked as he neared a conically shaped object with ridges like a conch shell. The scent was coming from there! Alex-Kiwi almost crashed the Nav Skid into it when it moved. It turned to reveal two engines in what would be the opening of the conch. It tried to escape as the Kongres swam out from behind Alex-Kiwi's Nav Skid and started shooting. Alex-Kiwi chased after it, the Kiwi half knowing Odd was on that ship and wanted to see him.

-( ( • ) )-

"Watch out!" Ulrich screamed as a torpedo barely missed Yumi.

"I got it! Watch your own Nav Skid!" Yumi sharply turned, hit a tunnel and bounced off. The Shark took aim.

"No!" William fired and hit the Shark before it could destroy Yumi's Nav Skid. "I can't lose you." he whispered under his breath.

"Thanks, William." Yumi looked around for more. "I know there were more Sharks when we started."

"You're right." Ulrich looked around, but didn't see them.

-( ( • ) )-

The Kongres were joined by the last two Sharks. The conch-like craft tried to speed away but the monsters were blasting it with a barrage of lasers and torpedoes. Alex-Kiwi flew around it, as Kiwi stayed in control. "Alexàndre." a calm voice echoed. The Nav Skid almost slammed into a pillar.

"Huh? Wait, what happened?" The Alex side of Alex-Kiwi resurfaced.

"Help us. I can't move fast enough." Alex shook his head. The voice was echoing through the Nav Skid, and it occurred to him that it might be the ship's pilot.

"I, okay, whoever you are." Alex turned the Nav Skid and fired a torpedo. He destroyed a Kongre. The other two Kongres split from the Sharks and attacked Alex.

_If you want to save Odd, you have to let me keep control._ Alex mentally fought against Kiwi's impulse to chase Odd as he sensed the cat boy's aroma drifting away.

-( ( • ) )-

"I found him." Jeremie used the control panel to pick up Alex's signal. "Go east, you should find him."

"I wonder what he's doing." Yumi piloted her Nav Skid in the direction Jeremie said to.

"Joining Xana, just like the last time we had a new recruit." Ulrich sighed as he followed.

"Give him a chance, Ulrich, maybe he smelled Odd." William also chased after Alex-Kiwi.

-( ( • ) )-

Alex dodged lasers clumsily and fired a torpedo. It hit a Kongre, leaving one left. "Come on! I have to go back and destroy those Sharks." He entered into a deadly battle with the remaining Kongre.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi, William and Ulrich moved with finesse through the internet. "You're almost there." Jeremie watched on the screen.

"I see him!" Yumi pushed the accelerator. "He's fighting a Kongre." Yumi took aim and fired.

"Hey, they made it." Alex saw Yumi, then Ulrich, then William. "Guys! This way!" He took off after the conch-shaped craft and the other three followed.

Aelita moved slowly, but still attempted to chase after the others. "I'm defenseless here!" She pounded on the control panel. "Slow down!" They were too far ahead and couldn't hear.

"There it is!" Alex saw the cone shaped craft and the Sharks. They were near a server. If the craft made it there, it could escape the Sharks, hopefully. "Come on, stay still." Alex aimed at a Shark, his aim still not practiced and, as such, quite shaky.

"What do you think it is?" Yumi was in awe of the craft. It was larger than the Skidbladnir and its shape was awkward but it still moved elegantly through the internet.

"I don't know, but Xana wants to destroy it." Ulrich took aim and fired at a Shark. It dodged the torpedo.

"Then we need to protect it." William managed to blast one Shark with a torpedo.

"We have to help it." Alex fired and clipped a Shark's fin, sending it spiraling.

"Thank you, Alexàndre." The cone shaped craft made it to the server. The Sharks fired torpedoes at the same time, but the craft disappeared into the swirling hub.

"Now!" Yumi fired and hit the crippled Shark.

"Got it." Alex fired and hit the last Shark. "The scent, it was Odd's scent. Kiwi knew it was him."

"But, how? Whose ship was that?" Ulrich wondered.

"Someone Xana doesn't want alive." William noted. "Odd must be on there."

"What happened?" Aelita finally caught up to the others. "What did I miss?" She saw nothing but the four Nav Skids.

"There was another craft. Xana was trying to destroy it. They saved it and it got away in the server." Jeremie explained.

"But, who, no one else could have a ship here except for my father." Aelita's eyes went wide as the others, minus Alex, realized who it must be.

"Franz Hopper!"

_A/N: Le gasp! The plot thickens, and Aelita is being such a cat to Jeremie over losing Odd, hm? Looks like her mean streak from Evolution is showing. So what do you guys think of Alex? He doesn't seem to have much character so far...Hm...I'll have to do something about that, won't I? :) But fear not, I don't plan on making every episode focus on him. Quite to the contrary, actually, if you're wondering, most of his development comes toward the end of Book 1 and in a subplot of Book 2. Hehe, you'll have to keep reading to see how he (and the others!) develops, and see just what happens to Franz Hopper and his super seashell ship._


	12. Episode 133: An Odd Development

The group was having a meeting in the Control Room. "But how did Xana know where he was and why did he lead Alex there?" Aelita wondered. She was clearly worried about her father and Odd.

"I don't think he knew where they were. He had an idea but didn't know where exactly. He led Alex in their general direction and took advantage of Kiwi to pinpoint where they were." Jeremie hypothesized.

"Which means if we find Franz and Odd, then Xana finds them and will try to destroy them." Ulrich guessed. That put the group between a rock and a hard place. Ulrich wanted to get rid of the clone but if they got the real Odd hurt or worse, he would never forgive himself. "But we need to get Odd and Franz to Earth."

"Without Xana getting them." Aelita looked at the monitor. "Maybe if I tried to contact him?"

"But he talked to me...at least, I think it was him." Alex crossed his arms; he wasn't sure. "The voice didn't sound like a middle-aged man."

"You don't know what Franz sounds like, so you can't be sure. And you said you heard it in your head." Yumi pointed out.

"I know, but it just sounded weird, like a little kid's and an old man's at the same time. Don't ask me how it could sound like that, because I don't know. Maybe because I had Kiwi merged with me? A dog's hearing is better than our own."

"Well, it has to be Franz Hopper. No one else knows about Lyoko or could go to the internet like we do." William affirmed.

"Unless it's Antea." Everyone turned to Jeremie.

"Aunt Tia? You said that was a diversion Odd made up to keep Aelita out of trouble." Alex frowned.

"No, Antea, Aelita's mom."

"But she's working for Tyron. She's his wife now. She might not even be there willingly. He probably has her locked up." Aelita sighed.

"Aelita, you know that everything we found turned up a dead end at when the government got her and tried to use her to get Franz to turn over the Super Computer blueprints. Then she magically appeared married to a guy who is trying desperately to capture or kill us, and we haven't heard from her or that guy since. I highly doubt, even if he really is married to her, that he cares about her at all." Aelita stared at Jeremie.

"If they had another Super Computer, even after our virus, then they wouldn't need this one." Jeremie pointed out, and the two started to argue.

"Maybe he forced her to help him build his Super Computer in exchange for getting into contact with me, maybe that's why he tried to take me. She did work with Carthage, she might know some things about the Super Computer. It could be Tyron in that ship for all we know." Aelita shot back.

-( ( • ) )-

The group sat and listened for a few minutes, then interrupted the two. "This isn't helping us!" Yumi's yell shut the two up.

"It doesn't matter who it is, they have Odd. We have to find the craft and Odd again. Maybe we can find a way to get Odd into his old Nav Skid." Jeremie insisted.

"But if we do that, Xana will find them, Jeremie. I don't like having the clone around but if we lead Xana to Odd, we might not be as lucky as we were last time." Ulrich looked at the time on his phone. "It's almost time for curfew."

"You guys go. I'll work a little longer."

"Jeremie, you've spent almost all your time here. Are you even doing your homework?" William pried.

"That isn't important. I can make up for it with my test scores." Jeremie started to work on the control panel, ignoring the others. They got on the elevator silently and the doors closed.

"Aelita, you have to help him." Ulrich chided, garnering a stare from the pinkette.

"If Yumi said she wished you never existed, then tried to get rid of one of your friends like Emily or someone, then had the gall to get mad if you merely said someone looks good in their Lyoko uniform, would you want to work with her?" Aelita burst as Alex flinched beside her.

"I...Yumi and I are just really good friends." Ulrich stammered as he and Yumi blushed.

"Whatever. I wasn't even talking about you two being more than friends." Aelita rolled her eyes. With that, the elevator doors opened and she and the others left the Factory.

Jeremie ignored the time and worked well past midnight. He had to find Odd to save the relationship with the woman he loved. Even if Odd was a rival for her heart...he had to find him.

-( ( • ) )-

The next couple days, Jeremie was doing worse in school. Mr. Delmas called his parents to notify them, and they called him. "Jeremie, we're worried. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I've just been busy."

"With what? Your schoolwork is very important to us. You used to do so well, but your grades have dropped. Tell us, please?"

"It's nothing to worry about. I've just been busy." Jeremie was on his way to the Factory. "Don't worry."

"But we will, honey. It's our job." His mother tried to get Jeremie to talk but he just kept telling her not to worry.

-( ( • ) )-

Xana was ready to attack. He activated a Tower and sent a specter to Earth.

-( ( • ) )-

"Stay here, you stupid thing." Ulrich cuffed the clone to Odd's bed with some toy handcuffs one might get at a dollar store. "I'll be back in a couple hours, okay?"

"Back couple in a hours okay." Ulrich sighed and left the room.

Sissi, being suspicious, had been listening. It almost sounded like Ulrich thought Odd wasn't really Odd, but something else. She knocked on the door, and recieved no answer. She waited a few seconds, then came in. When she stepped into the room, the specter floated out of the ceiling light and possessed her.

"Hello, clone." She smiled evilly as Xana's symbol appeared in her eyes.

"Hi Sissi. Normal acting others front."

"Don't worry. I know you're a clone. You're going to help me." Sissi sparked with energy and destroyed the cuffs that had been holding the clone to the bed. "Come with me."

"With me come okay yes." The clone followed Sissi out of the room.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie, in the library, heard the Super Scan beeping and pulled his laptop out. "Ice Sector. What is Xana doing?" He got his cell phone out and called Ulrich. "Xana's attacking."

"Man, I just got the clone out of my hair." Ulrich was ready to spar with Yumi. "Yumi's here, I'll call Aelita, and Yumi can call William."

"Thanks. I'll call Alex." They hung up and made their calls.

-( ( • ) )-

Sissi led Odd to the middle of the campus. "Now, clone, you're going to do as I say."

"Play Sissi says?"

"Yes. Sissi says hit me." The clone swung at her, stunning the people around them with sheer shock. Sissi whispered again, "Sissi says tackle me and beat me."

"Tackle and beat me says Sissi." The clone tackled her and started to beat on her. Sissi screamed.

"Help! He's gone crazy!" Sissi, controlled by a specter, wailed, pretending as if the game of Sissi Says had never taken place. "When my father hears about this, you'll be expelled!" Students crowded around the clone they thought was Odd Della Robbia.

"You bully!"

"How could you?!"

"Jerk!"

"Crazy gone help?" The clone was dragged away from Sissi by several students. "Father hears expelled when this?" The clone sparked a little.

"Whoa!" Tamiya was hit with a spark, and she rubbed where it landed.

"Odd!" Ulrich saw the clone and ran over to him. "What happened?"

"He attacked Sissi!" Milly squealed from the crowd.

"What? He wouldn't do that." _Unless he was possessed by Xana again. _"Odd, you're in trouble."

"Trouble? She told me to tackle her." The sparking must've included a spark of brilliance in the clone's head. "I did as she said." It sparked again.

"What the heck is he doing?" Students backed away from Odd.

"Heck his the what?" The most recent spark was a spark of stupid, apparently.

"What is going on here!?" Jim confronted the group of students.

"Odd attacked Sissi." Azra Urgup chirped.

"That doesn't sound like him."

"We saw it!" Anais Fiquet wailed.

"He hit me for no reason." Ulrich narrowed his gaze at Sissi, suspecting Xana possession.

"Odd, is this true?" Jim bellowed.

"She was asking for it." The clone answered perfectly honestly, albeit in a way that could be taken in the wrong way.

"Whatever she said or did to you does not give you the right to hit her or any other student." Jim grabbed Odd's arm and dragged him to the office.

"This is bad." Ulrich peeled off from the group of kids and ran off, with Sissi's Xanafied eyes watching him.

"Sissi, are you okay?" Herve and Nicholas ran up to her, the smaller of the two being out of breath. "What happened?"

"Fools! He could have killed me! Aren't you supposed to be my friends? Where were you?"

"Enjoying a wonderful afternoon experience."

"Fishing again? Get William, Alex and Yumi! I need them to know what that idiot did to me!"

"Where would they be?"

"At the Factory by the river you fish at. Where you saw Odd and Aelita run off to and kiss in." Herve and Nicholas ran off, and Sissi chuckled as she sprinted into the woods after Ulrich.

-( ( • ) )-

Ulrich sprinted through the woods, and soon stopped at the sewer entrance. As he lifted the lid, Sissi leapt from behind and tackled him. "No, Xana!"

"Yes!" Sissi pulled her hand back and it sparked. "Goodbye, oh Ulrich dear." she mocked with an evil grin.

"No!" Ulrich tried to block the punch with his right arm, but Sissi's fist shattered the bone. He screamed out in pain as Sissi pulled her hand back and tried to crush his skull again. Once again, he feebly blocked with his left arm, and once again, the bone shattered.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita ran into the Factory, with the prying eyes of Herve and Nicholas watching her, but waiting for the other three as Sissi had commanded them.

-( ( • ) )-

"Good enough." Sissi climbed off of Ulrich. With broken arms, he couldn't climb down or up a ladder, or get up from the ground very easily either. He couldn't make it to the Factory as easily as Herve and Nicholas had, and that was all Xana needed. Sissi descended into the sewers.

-( ( • ) )-

Yumi, Alex and William rose out of the sewers and saw Herve and Nicholas dashing up the stairs of the waterfront. "Uh, what are you doing here?" Yumi backed away, thinking they were possessed.

"Sissi told us to tell you that Odd attacked her." Herve blurted.

"What? But he wouldn't do that." Alex gaped, and Yumi began to worry. The last time the clone attacked, it nearly killed her, not to mention Sissi and Nicholas.

"He did! Everyone saw it. Jim took him to Mr. Delmas." Nicholas insisted.

"That's not good." William was anxious. "We um, have to go in there." William pointed at the Factory.

"Wow Yumi, you're into having two guys at the same time? And here I thought you liked Ulrich." Nicholas marvelled, and all three of them flushed bright red.

"They're just really good friends." William forced a smile. "If you two don't mind the three of us would like to be alone."

"William, don't, just shut up." Yumi stared at him, angry at how he made it sound. Alex's face was buried in his palm.

"Let's go." the blonde suggested. He and Yumi ran past Sissi's lackeys and William, and went into the Factory.

"Must be going. Can't let Alex have all the fun." William gave a goodbye salute and ran after Yumi and Alex.

"Wow! Sissi is going to want to know about this." Nicholas shook his head in amazement. He and Herve ran back to the school to look for Sissi.

-( ( • ) )-

Jeremie tapped the Enter key, sending Aelita to Lyoko. Yumi, Alex and William stopped at the Control Room. "Who made it already?" Yumi breathed.

"Aelita. Wasn't Ulrich with you?"

"No, but I think Xana possessed the clone again."

"Not good. What did it do?"

"Attacked Sissi."

"Not Ulrich?" Yumi shrugged her shoulders. "Let me call him." Jeremie made the call.

Ulrich tried to reach for his phone in his pocket, but ended up screaming out and leaning back against a tree.

"I guess he's not coming. Hurry, you three." Jeremie commanded, and William punched the button as Yumi got back on the elevator.

"I'm sorry, you guys. I just acted like that to make sure they didn't think about following us." William explained sheepishly.

"Not into that crap." Alex murmured.

"Whatever." Yumi growled as they stepped off of the elevator and got in the Scanners.

"Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Transfer Alex. Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, Scanner Alex. Virtualization." They landed in the Ice Sector, a few meters away from Aelita.

"Where to, Jeremie?" William got on the Overbike as Yumi got on the Overwing. Aelita was already on the Overboard.

"You're close. Go north. It should be there."

"Um...I don't have a vehicle." Alex glanced around, as if a fourth Overvehicle would magically appear just out of his field of vision.

"You could try to figure out what your movement power is, or you could ride with someone else." Jeremie suggested. Yumi shook her head no, still annoyed at William's remark about two guys simultaneously, and Alex simply didn't want to ride with William. He slowly walked over to Aelita.

"May I?"

"Hold on tight." She nodded in the affirmative. Alex smiled to show his gratitude and got on.

-( ( • ) )-

"There's nothing there, Jeremie." Yumi drove skyward to get a better view, and still saw no activated Tower.

"But, the Super Scan shows it _is_ there." Jeremie checked the coordinates again, then looked at the map. "The Super Scan says it is there."

"We don't see it." Aelita closed her eyes, then opened them, wondering if Xana was playing a trick. She activated her Second Sight, as she had the last time Xana made a Tower invisible. "Nothing. Jeremie, you're messing up."

"No, I'm not!" Jeremie insisted.

-( ( • ) )-

Sissi collapsed as the black mist left her.

-( ( • ) )-

On Lyoko the ground shook. Red rings, meaning pulsations, appeared in a fading trail.

"Whoa." Alex blinked. The activated Tower faded into existence, as did its guards. Seven Tarantulas, three Kankrelats, and the Dark Angel.

"Whoa is right." William was shocked. "How did Xana do that?"

"I don't know." Aelita bit her lip. That kind of power could be more than they could handle. Not only that, but now they were dealing with an army of Xana's monsters without Ulrich or Odd.

"Be careful. I...Aelita, this might be it." Jeremie knew his friends were outclassed. Alex had never fought on Lyoko before, and Ulrich and Odd were two of their best fighters. Xana was well-calculated.

"We'll do this. We always do." Yumi withdrew her fans and threw them at a Tarantula with a war cry. Another Tarantula shot them out of the air.

"Surrender now and give Xana the girl, or be destroyed." The Dark Angel flared its wings out from its body in its equivalent of a fighting stance.

"Never!" William summoned the Zweihander from silver mist. "We'll destroy you, and him too! Rosetta!" William charged his sword and swung it. The energy blade flared out, but the Dark Angel dodged it. It continued and hit a Tarantula, cutting it in half and destroying it.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw but missed a Tarantula, instead hitting a Kankrelat.

"Um...Electrokinesis!" Alex pulled a hand off Aelita's waist, the green bolts crackling over his fingers. He turned it outward, a green bolt lancing through the air, and got lucky when the bolt struck a Kankrelat in the Eye of Xana.

"Then so be it! Destroy them!" The remaining Tarantulas and the Kankrelat opened fire as the Dark Angel charged William.

-( ( • ) )-

The Lyoko Warriors battled the Dark Angel and Tarantulas, but were losing. "Yumi, you just lost another twenty points!"

"I know, Jeremie!" Yumi could barely do more than block lasers with her fans. "We need help!"

"I tried calling Ulrich again, but he won't answer his phone." Jeremie got more and more worried. His friends were losing. Would he have to go to Lyoko to at least try to help?

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw the energy orb and hit the remaining Kankrelat. Alex aimed with a free hand, using one of his pistols, and took a shot, but missed as well. His bullet landed harmlessly in the ground, the cyber blue capsule cracking apart and giving off a small explosion as it was destroyed. He had already run out of ammo on the other pistol, and Jeremie had yet to make a reloading program for his pistols like Odd's Laser Arrow reloader.

A laser hit the Overboard and it devirtualized. As the two fell, Aelita passed her hand over her watch and her wings appeared. Alex, however, fell, and without Aelita and the Overboard to keep him safe, the Tarantulas turned their sights on him. Aelita zoomed across the Sector, flying low. "Energy Field!" She threw two energy orbs and destroyed two Tarantulas as she flew by them, leaving Alex to only be hit by two lasers.

"Alex, you only have ten Life Points left!"

"Ugh..." He groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. "I wish I could move at lightspeed so I wouldn't have to worry about getting hit." As the words escaped his mouth, he started to move in a speedy green blur with a similar green trail, at least as fast as William and Ulrich when using their Super Smoke and Super Sprint, respectively.

"What just happened? You're losing Life Points. Seven, six..." Jeremie read.

_So I can run fast by saying Lightspeed. Good to know. Better make these Life Points count. _"Eat metal!" Alex vaulted into the air and fired the rest of his clip into a Tarantula as it fired a laser into his gut, devirtualizing him.

"Goodbye." The Dark Angel devirtualized William with its claws almost simultaneously with Alex's devirtualization.

"No!" Jeremie saw both ID Cards flash on the screen and drain of color. "Not good."

"Send me back, Jeremie." Alex breathed from the Scanner as he rubbed a hand inside his shirt against his abs, where the final laser had hit.

"I can't until the cooldown period is over. Your profile is damaged from losing your Life Points and it takes time to reintegrate." Jeremie sighed.

"How long is that?"

"12 hours max."

"Damn it."

"Man, I should have dodged that last attack." William sat down and waited.

-( ( • ) )-

Aelita was dodging lasers as the Dark Angel chased after Yumi. There was no fighting, just running away. There was nothing they could do. Xana was going to win, and it would be the end for them.

Jeremie was about to give up all hope and send himself, when something appeared on the map. "Not another monster!" Jeremie pulled up the countdown to virtualize himself.

"Jeremie, there's something coming this way!" Aelita saw it first; it was a conical craft, not entirely unlike the Skidbladnir. Yumi recognized it.

"Franz Hopper!" she yelled. Jeremie hesitated.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Yumi saw something launch from the craft, some sort of large missile-like metal capsule. It soared through the air, then crashed and bounced across the Sector floor. The Dark Angel sailed over it as it bounced nearby, instead allowing it to destroy a Tarantula.

"That was helpful but we need more." Yumi mused as the Dark Angel recovered. She flung her fans, but it dodged and dashed forward to attack her.

"Back off, ugly!" Something, someone, vaulted out of the object. "Laser Arrow!" It missed the Dark Angel, but he fired more.

"Odd!" Aelita was stunned. He attacked the Dark Angel up close and managed to hold his own.

He looked like Odd, sure, but he was an inch or two taller, a bit more fit. His tail was longer, and his ears more resembled actual cat ears. His conical hair was a bit shorter, and the purple spot appeared to grow from the roots. A sharp tooth stuck out from his mouth, like a vampire, and the 'eyebrow' marks were gone. He had his old gloves from his first time on Lyoko, but they transitioned into his arms as if they were part of his skin. His old pants with kneepads were back as well, with two yellow spikes sticking out from his toes. His shirt from his first outfit was now more skintight, with a pink line down the middle, the Kiwi emblem over his heart, and purple regions in an upside-down triangle over his shoulders and neck, as well as on the side in a thick line.

"Watch out!" Yumi's warning rang out, giving Aelita time to dodge the laser a Tarantula had fired at her from behind.

"Energy Field!" Aelita destroyed the Tarantula that had just tried to shoot her down. Yumi flung her fans and destroyed the last one. Odd and the Dark Angel had been fighting in front of the Tower, and she waited for them to move. She was about to fire an Energy Field, but Odd got in the way.

"Come on, is that the best you've got?" Odd mocked. He dodged a slash and jumped to the side to avoid an eye laser. He spun on his right foot, kicking out in a roundhouse. The Dark Angel effortlessly blocked it and caught Odd with another eye laser.

"Oh, _that's_ the best you've got!" Odd flew back and groaned, humbled, as he got up. Aelita flung her energy orb, but the Dark Angel dodged. Odd charged and punched the Dark Angel in the stomach. The Dark Angel pointed its claws and fired the continuous laser streams.

"Laser Claws!" Odd's claws glowed bright blue. He slashed at the Dark Angel's eye and destroyed it before it could devirtualize him with its draining lasers. "Odd one, Ugly zero." He boxed the air in front of him.

"I wouldn't get too cocky, Odd. Don't forget that the Dark Angel has beat you several times and almost had you gone for good. It's more like Odd one, Ugly four. Be careful." Jeremie warned, annoyed at Odd's reckless attitude.

"Odd!" Aelita finally ran over and hugged him.

"Hey Princess." Odd pulled away. "Great to see you and Yumi." He took a few steps back and spread his arms. "What do you think of my new duds and my new Laser Claws skill?"

"But, how?" Yumi was obviously impressed, although wary. This was too easy.

"I don't know. Ask whoever it was on the Nautilus."

"The what?"

"The ship. They told me it was called the Nautilus."

"Who are 'they', was it my father?" Aelita breathed.

"I think so. I heard two voices, maybe three, not sure. One was an old guy, one was a little kid and one was like a machine. I was out of it until...I think a couple days ago?"

"Wait Odd, what happened?" Jeremie pulled up Odd's card and found that he had an extra twenty Life Points added to the usual 100.

"I don't know. I remember falling into the Digital Sea then I woke up on a submarine. I was hooked up to a bunch of machines. There were voices in my head, but I never saw anyone. There was a window, and they drove past what they said was a Replika we missed."

"What? I was sure Xana made more, but we missed some?" Jeremie was incredulous.

"They said Xana disconnected them from the internet after making them, just in case. Smarter than you thought, huh, Einstein?"

"I never thought of it."

"Neither did they, until the Replikas appeared. They showed them to me and upgraded me to help us fight Xana."

"You know, Alex did say the voice sounded like both an old man and a little kid." Yumi noted. "Maybe he heard two of the three."

"Alex? You replaced me?" Odd looked hurt.

"No, of course not. We could never replace you. We took a vote on who to recruit, and we let him in to help us fight Xana, since Yumi was going to Japan for a week and you were gone. We couldn't have won without him, and he even helped protect the Nautilus. In a way, he saved you." Aelita smiled.

"Well, we don't need him anymore. He's dead weight." Odd growled. "He may be a friend, but I don't think he's ready to be a Lyoko Warrior, if he ever will be. On the Nautilus, they made me better. There's no reason to have him." His voice was void of any gratitude or understanding.

"But who are they?" Odd shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry that we let that happen to you." Aelita hugged him again.

"Don't worry, Princess. Xana almost had me. Einstein, you really need to work on keeping Xana out of the Super Computer's main programs. One of the voices said they would help you with that soon and told me to tell you so."

"Wait, he, you mean Xana did something to your programs?" Aelita looked at Odd, her eyes wide.

"Well, yeah, Princess. What, did you think Einstein would have just let me fall into the Digital Sea? Kind of hard explaining my disappearing." Aelita looked away, feeling terrible for the way she had acted towards Jeremie.

"We didn't have to. We made a clone." Yumi put in. "But I'm sure Ulrich will be glad to get rid of it."

"Speaking of Ulrich, I still can't get in contact with him. He may be hurt." Jeremie debated with himself whether to do a return or not.

"Herve and Nicholas said the clone attacked Sissi. Odd will be in trouble if we don't do a return."

"Okay, one second." Jeremie brought up the program. "Return to the past, now!" The white bubble reversed time.

-( ( • ) )-

The group was in the Control Room, since Odd was still on Lyoko.

"Materialization Odd." A few moments later, he came up in the elevator. They were impressed. Odd, like on Lyoko, was a bit taller and a bit more fit. He wore a short-sleeved purple V-neck with yellow trim, and a long-sleeved pink shirt underneath. His pants were indigo and his sneakers purple and white.

"You look good." Aelita commented.

"So guys, what do you think? Not so scrawny now, am I?" Odd flexed his slightly less puny muscles. "But I am hungry. I wonder how much I can pack in now."

"Odd, people will wonder." Yumi sighed.

"I know, I told _them_ that. They said not to worry and claim I had a growth spurt." Odd smiled. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"But how?" Aelita blinked.

"I don't know. But they said they could do it to all of us."

"Do what, upgrade us?" Yumi gaped, and Odd nodded. "I don't know if I'd want that."

"Scared, Yumi?" She stared at Ulrich but William answered for her.

"So what if she is? I am too. The last time I was upgraded, it was by Xana. We'd be putting our lives in the hands of people we don't know are really allies or not. And it took them a long time to upgrade you, Odd. Could one of us be gone that long?"

"I couldn't let a clone be around my family." Yumi shook her head.

"And I'm needed to deactivate Towers." Aelita shrugged.

"I don't want to do it." William refused.

"It could improve my performance on Lyoko, get me up to you guys' level. I could protect Aelita better that way." Alex mused, prompting a glare from Odd.

"I'll do it too. Have you deal with a clone." Ulrich quipped, wondering what he would look like after being upgraded.

"Cool. It should be within the next few days. They just said they'd send Jeremie some stuff when they could. Xana's after them so they have to be careful." Odd walked back into the elevator. "I'm ready for dinner."

"Let me deactivate the Tower controlling your clone so he won't steal your meal." Jeremie smiled. Odd had confirmed that Xana messed with his programs, not to mention the mere fact he was back. Now he could focus on destroying Xana and maybe work things out with Aelita.


	13. Episode 134: Natal Day

_**A/N: **And we are back from an unplanned hiatus! I am so sorry guys! I hope this makes up for it. Read, enjoy and review!_

Aelita was coming back from gym when she, quite literally ran into Alex.

As she backpedaled she spoke, "Oh, sorry, I wasn't looking where where I was going...Um...Hi, Alex." He pulled something out from behind his back. A few Esperance roses, with pink centers and green edges.

"Hello, Princess."

"I, Alex..." Aelita blushed as Alex handed her the flowers.

"Happy birthday." Aelita was shocked. She had forgotten about it. Today was the day she had been brought back to Earth. Sure, her birthday, picked by Jeremie as promised, had been celebrated a while ago, but the team had still celebrated the day just as they had celebrated the day Jeremie found the Super Computer all that time ago. In a way, she had three birthdays and this was one.

"I, um, thanks." She took a big sniff and smiled at him.

"No problem, 'Lita."

"How did you know?" She tilted her head as she took another sniff.

"It was marked on Jeremie's calendar. I saw it while I was walking out from his room after asking him a question about the upgrading thing." Alex offered her a hug. "I got most of my homework done if you want to go out and do something for your birthday." He smiled at Aelita, and she smiled back again.

"Um, I could look over your homework for you."

"No need for that. It's your birthday so we should do something for you. Tell the others and have a little party, eh?"

"Um, yeah. Jeremie, uh, I was going to his room to help him work on stuff for defeating Xana. Franz sent him the information but it was coded."

"Then I'll see you later." Alex walked away, leaving Aelita a little flushed with embarrassment.

-( ( • ) ) -

Since Odd had come back, he had been different. Not just physically, either. He was a bit smarter, and a bit more mature. Even Sissi and Yumi weren't immune to the new Odd. In the hallway, he smiled at Yumi, and she had been charmed until she remembered who it was that smiled at her. Gag. Yes, Yumi retched at the very notion of finding Odd in the least bit attractive.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita stopped at her room and put the flowers on her bed before going to Jeremie's room. Unceremoniously she walked in. "Hi, Jeremie."

"Just in time. I made contact with Franz Hopper. He sent me a bunch of encoded data. We'll need to activate a Tower to go through it all. I managed to decode a bit of it, and he's ready to upgrade another Warrior. Alex wants to do it so he'll be more useful so we won't erase his memory or stop sending him to Lyoko."

"I, okay." Aelita sat down on his bed. "Um, did you remember?"

"Remember what?" The blonde didn't even turn to look at her.

"I, I can't believe you." Aelita pushed herself off of his bed and left the room, slamming the door on her way out.

"What was I supposed to remember?" Jeremie briefly wondered. But, alas, he shook it off and turned back to his computer.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next morning, Mr. Delmas answered what seemed to be an ordinary phone call. "Hello?"

There was chattering on the other end. "Oh yes, Mr. Belpois, your nephew Patrick is always welcomed here if his parents are willing to pay the tuition."

There was more talking. "Room with Jeremie? He'll have to relocate to a double room."

There was a bit more talking. "Yes, I noticed his grades have dropped too. I tried to have my daughter talk with him, but he said he was busy."

More talking once again. "Yes, maybe having some family around will help. We try to be there for our students, but there is only so much a teacher can do."

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was coming back from dinner, unaware of the impending difficulties to come, when Jim stopped him. "Jeremie, you're to come with me to the principal's office."

"What did I do now?" Jeremie sighed. Indeed, had faked sick and skipped a couple classes to get to Lyoko, but he didn't think that would get him pulled to the office.

"Nothing. Someone is here to see you." Jeremie raised an eyebrow but did not protest as Jim began to escort him to the aforementioned principal's office.

-( ( • ) ) -

After dinner, Odd cornered Yumi. "I'm sorry about your birthday."

"What do you mean? That was months ago." Yumi attempted to push past Odd.

"I know, but we all forgot. I tried to help Ulrich, but we messed that up." Odd pulled a necklace out. "He was supposed to give you this, not the squeeze toy." Yumi blushed as Odd handed it to her.

"I, uh, thanks."

"Just because he forgot doesn't mean I did. But I didn't want to make him look bad."

"Um, why now?"

"What can I say? Being trapped on a submarine with voices in your head, you have a lot of time to think." Odd put a hand on Yumi's arm. "I know you two are just really good friends, so maybe-"

"What are you doing!?" Ulrich stormed up. It seemed he Odd give Yumi the necklace.

"Fixing a mistake I made. Seemed so clear to do now, I don't know why I didn't do it before." Odd knocked on his head. "Must be the upgrades."

"I can't believe you, Odd!" Ulrich pulled his hand back and tried to punch Odd, but Odd grabbed his fist. "Don't think you can get the upper hand just because you got a new power on Lyoko." Ulrich growled, throwing another punch which was similarly caught. Ulrich kicked out and knocked Odd away.

"Hey, calm down." Odd stood back up and turned to Yumi. "You two really should try being more than just really good friends. You should have seen the way he panicked when he realized it was your birthday. He does care about you." Yumi blushed. "But I have to go find the Princess, speaking of birthdays. I want to give her a gift and take her out and stuff." Ulrich and Yumi blinked.

"Wait, her birthday?" Yumi gasped.

"Don't worry. Jeremie forgot it too." Odd walked away as Ulrich and Yumi whipped their phones out to call Aelita and apologize.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie sat in his room, unhappy about the news Mr. Delmas had delivered. "I can't believe this. My grades are just fine. I don't need Patrick here to breathe down my neck." He typed away on the keyboard. "We better get this mission in tonight and send Alex or Ulrich or whoever with Franz. Who knows how long it might be before I can get away from Patrick." Jeremie then called Aelita. "We need to run the data tonight."

"Why?" Aelita was still upset that the only ones who remembered her birthday were Alex and Odd. Ulrich, William and Yumi had called earlier, saying they were sorry they forgot. That only left Jeremie.

"My cousin is coming back for good. I might not be able to get away from him when he does." Aelita waited for him to bring up her birthday, but Jeremie added nothing.

"I'll be there." Aelita hung up on Jeremie, who called the other five.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was the first to the sewer entrance and waited for the others. When Aelita appeared, he bowed. "Princess, your carriage awaits you." Odd lifted the sewer lid off for Aelita.

"Thank you, Odd." Aelita stayed with Odd to wait for the others. There was no rush; Xana wasn't attacking. But they would be needed to keep the Tower safe.

Alex ran up, not in the least bit winded. The more muscled young man stood next to the still shorter and scrawnier, or svelter, than him Odd. "Hey Aelita. Hope this doesn't put a damper on our dinner plans."

"Dinner plans?" Odd was incredulous._ But I wanted to take her out! You don't even know her that well._

Aelita nodded and made an 'm-hm' sound. "We were going to head down to that little Italian restaurant just a few blocks away from the Factory, that 'Little Pizza of Heaven' place. It's nothing romantic or anything, just two friends having dinner on a _special day._" Aelita hinted.

"Your birthday." Odd nodded. "I know. _I _wanted to take you out."

"Oh, that's fine. You can come with us, make it a party." Aelita smiled and Alex nodded his agreement to a pouting Odd.

Ulrich, Yumi, and then William made it. "What's taking Jeremie so long?" Odd called him on his cell phone.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Don't answer that." Jim barked, having caught Jeremie trying to leave. "Where were you going, Belpois?"

"I, just, have my cousin coming and won't be able to get alone once he gets here. I was just going out to the woods to take a break."

"A break from what? Your grades have been slipping, you've skipped classes, what are you doing?"

"Nothing Jim. I just...it's really hard to explain." Jeremie did _not_ want to have to drag Jim with him to the Factory. There was no attack and no reason to launch a return as of right then.

"I have time." Jim crossed his arms. "I once competed in the worldwide staring contest. Made it to the semifinals."

"What happened?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Well I'm not telling you what it is, so we have time." Jeremie bought time as he tried to think of a way out.

"Well, you see, I had some pepper poppycock for a snack between the quarter and semifinals and some pepper was under my nose…" Jim began to ramble.

-( ( • ) ) -

"We can't wait. Maybe he went another way." Ulrich climbed down the ladder into the sewers.

"Or Xana was true to form and he attacked." Yumi followed Ulrich down, and William followed them.

"Ladies first." Odd and Alex both said, and the shorter of the two glared at the taller, mistaking his friendliness for flirtiness. They both waited for Aelita to climb down, then Alex followed her and Odd followed him.

-( ( • ) ) -

"And then I went into arm wrestling. I worked on my right arm for about three months before going into the amateur league." Jeremie nodded aimlessly, wondering how to shut Jim up.

The group arrived at the Factory as Xana activated a Tower.

"I made it to the finals. I was finally there." Jim was embellishing the story and acting it out. "But Big Bubba Bruno, undefeated, stood in my way of glory. I was," A black mist entered him from behind and possessed him.

"Jim?" Jeremie hadn't been paying attention.

"Yes Jeremie?" Jim's voice was distorted.

"Xana!" The Super Scan beeped in Jeremie's bag as Jim sparked with energy.

"I will take that data!" Jim reached for the laptop but Jeremie pulled away. "Give it to me!"

"No way, Xana!" Jeremie took off.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors made it to the Factory and took the elevator down to the Control Room. Aelita sat in the chair and it swiveled around the circuit, taking her to the control panel, where she saw the Super Scan.

"Xana's attacking. Go to the Scanner Room, I'll send you." The others took the elevator down and hurried to the Scanners. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Transfer Ulrich. Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Desert Sector.

Aelita brought up the windows for the three vehicles, and they began to form, as she started the delayed virtualization. Her, Odd's and Alex's ID Cards all appeared, grayed out and pixelated. She climbed down the ladder and entered the Scanners.

Aelita's ID Card was the first to fill up completely, then Alex's, then Odd's. Odd was the last to virtualize, only off by a few seconds, and he fell a few seconds after the other two did. As he straightened up to get on the Overboard, he was stunned to see Aelita on it with Alex's hands around her waist.

"Where to?" William asked Aelita while he got on the Overwing with Yumi.

"It's to the south." Aelita explained just before the Overboard zipped away.

"Let's go." Ulrich growled impatiently at Odd.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." he growled back. Odd climbed on the Overbike, and Ulrich revved the engine and took off after the other two vehicles.

-( ( • ) ) -

Chris, of the Subdigitals, walked into Kadic Academy to look for his star DJ. "Mr. Delmas, how's it going?"

"Good, and if I may ask, with all due respect of course, what are you doing here? I got your voicemail but you didn't say why you were coming." Mr. Delmas greeted as he tried to get Chris to the teachers' lounge without being noticed.

"Why else? The Pink Star is here and we want to offer her some tour time." Véronique Fayolle rounded the corner and saw Chris, and immediately squealed.

"Chris!" Her high pitched screech alerted the rest of Kadic Academy.

"Come on, Chris, hurry, this way." Mr. Delmas escorted Chris to the teachers' lounge, and tried to ward off the clamoring teenaged girls ranging all the way from 6th grade to 12th.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie sprinted between herds of screaming girls, but when Jim tried to give chase, his large body mass made it difficult to reach Jeremie without bowling over and injuring the girls. While Xana normally would have no issue doing so, that would ultimately make things more difficult. Jeremie darted around a corner and to the school's sewer entrance in the boiler room.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, the group neared the activated Tower and two Megatanks and the Dark Angel. "This should be easy." Odd whooped from the Overbike. "Just sit back and relax, Princess." He smiled at her.

"Okay, Odd." Aelita passed her hand over her watch and activated her wings.

"Can you handle driving the Overboard?" she breathed to Alex.

"I'll do my best." She nodded and sprung off of the Overboard, taking flight, as Odd dove off the Overbike towards the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie burst into the sewers and ran away. A few seconds later, Jim phased through the door.

"Nice to see you possessed people can ghost through things again as opposed to taking forever to knock them down!" Jeremie mocked, his voice echoing through the sewer systems and confusing Jim.

"Come on, ugly!" Odd dove at the Dark Angel, firing Laser Arrows. Franz's upgrades helped them move faster than before, but the Dark Angel was still able to dodge them.

"Yumi, Alex, William, let's focus on the Megatanks." Ulrich pulled his sabers from the sheath on his back, trusting Odd with the Dark Angel.

A Megatank opened and fired at Alex, who scrambled to zoom away on the unfamiliar mode of transportation.

The other Megatank opened and fired at William and Yumi, and she veered to dodge it. Yumi pulled her fans out and threw them with a war cry. The Megatank closed, and the fans bounced off harmlessly back to Yumi.

William charged his Zweihander. "Rosetta!" When the Megatank that had attacked Alex opened, he swung the energy blade at the monster. The Megatank fired and hit the crescent, and the two cancelled one another out.

"Triplicate!" Two clones split off from Ulrich and threw their sabers at the Megatank that had attacked Yumi and William. It charged up another shot, but one of the sabers embedded itself in the Eye, destroying it.

Odd attacked the Dark Angel, who floated away, firing lasers from both its claws and its eyes. "You learned from last time. Not surprising." Odd spun with a crescent kick, trying to slash his toe claws across the Dark Angel's body. The monster had dodged, but as Odd turned he took aim.

"Laser Arrow!" He hit the Dark Angel in the chest, knocking it backwards. "But I also learn." Odd crescent kicked the Dark Angel again, pushing it away from the activated Tower.

"Electrokinesis!" Alex flung two bolts of lightning at the Megatank. The first hit the shell and dispersed harmlessly, but the second hit his mark and the monster exploded.

"The way is clear, Aelita." William yelled to the flying girl. No monsters except the Dark Angel remained, and Odd was taking care of that one.

"Thank you." She sped into the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was almost at the Factory when Jim caught him. He grabbed the laptop away from Jeremie. "No!" Jeremie tried to get it back, but the much larger man knocked him away.

"I will uncover the data Franz sent to you and use it to destroy him!" Jim laughed evilly, then stopped. He dropped the laptop as the black mist dissipated into the air. Jeremie dove and caught his computer. He rolled out of the way as Jim collapsed.

"They did it." Jeremie started to climb the ladder, but looked back at Jim. "As long as he doesn't go into the Factory we shouldn't need a return." He finished climbing the ladder and entered the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

As Aelita was about to exit the Tower, the Nautilus shot out of the Digital Sea and stopped just next to the Sector, where the Warriors were. A hatch opened on the side, and Alex stepped off the Overboard.

"I'm ready." he breathed. "See you soon." he promised as he stepped in. The white doors slid back shut, and the seams disappeared as the Nautilus dove away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Once the team, minus Alex, was back on Earth, Aelita got her cell out, but before she called Jeremie she heard the elevator running. "That must be him." When the elevator stopped, Jeremie stepped out.

"Sorry I'm late. Xana sent Jim after me."

"Is he okay?"

Jeremie nodded. "He might wonder where he is and why but he'll be fine." Jeremie opened his laptop.

"Alex went to go get upgraded." Odd didn't sound in the least bit thrilled.

"Cool. How long will it take?" Jeremie tilted his head as he asked.

"A few days, probably." he shrugged. "It shouldn't take as long with him. Alex is already optimal physically, I'll give him that. He's tough, athletic, muscular, handsome and charming-but not as handsome or charming as me."

"Odd, you're plug-ugly and he's a super cute hunky guy. Don't brag." Yumi joked.

"Yeah right! Whatever. He just doesn't have the skills needed with Lyoko's physics or the mental skill." Odd explained.

"Don't get too boastful. A few weeks ago, your mental skill was the lowest of the low." Yumi quipped.

"Anyway, I know you guys were just there but Franz sent us some information that will help us defeat Xana. We need to protect a Tower after we activate it and use it to decode the information." Jeremie waited for the others to get on the elevator when Aelita's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"My Pink Star! Where are you?" A voice blared through the speaker.

"Chris? I'm with my friends."

"Well, when you want to, could you come to Mr. Delmas's office? I want to talk to you about some concerts coming up."

"More? You want me to do more?"

"Of course, Pink Star. Your music is brilliant. The Subdigitals want to give our fans the best we can, and you're the best opening act we've ever had. But you don't have to rush over if you're busy."

"I, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay. And if you see my uncle, could you tell him I'm here? We tried calling him, but he hasn't been answering his phone."

"I will if I see him." Chris hung up on the other end. "Um, Chris, the Subdigitals want to see me right now." she blurted to Jeremie.

"Aelita, we need to run this data. If we do it, it might-"

"I'm sure we can handle it without the Princess. We just beat Xana, I doubt he'll be ready to fight us so soon." Odd interrupted Jeremie with a defensively sweet smile.

"Thanks, Odd." Aelita got on the elevator and left the Factory. Jeremie glared at Odd as the upgraded Warrior got on the elevator, but the same Warrior had his back turned and didn't see it.

"Well, let's hope we don't need her." A window popped up with several lines of encoded data as the Lyoko Warriors soon stood around a green-glowing Tower.

_**A/N: **Looks like Odd is getting a bit jealous, and of something that isn't there, hm? Keep reading to see where that goes and tell me what you think in a review!_


	14. Episode 135: Family Feud

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"It'd been a week since Alex had been taken on the Nautilus for upgrades, and Jeremie was working frantically. Patrick would arrive in less than an hour, and he wanted as much done as possible./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""At least eight more, but that won't be a problem." He skimmed through the data Franz Hopper sent. "Something different...sensors!" Jeremie highlighted a line of seemingly-nonsensical data and quickly converted it to its native format, a picture. "That looks like that ball with the Eye of Xana that William found in the Digital Sea. Xana must've set them up to try and find Franz Hopper. Tricky...Franz better be careful." Jeremie continued reading./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Aelita was with Odd at the skate park. "Who are we waiting for?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Samantha." Odd answered./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""White hipster Samantha or black skater Samantha?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Skater Samantha."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you sure she's coming?" Aelita sighed as she strapped her helmet and pads./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""She said she was coming, so she will." Odd insisted, excited./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""The last couple times she's been around she's caused nothing but trouble." Aelita observed, prompting Odd to frown./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""She didn't know it was important. She wanted to spend more time with me. And that was before my upgrades. Now I have them so I should be fine." Odd smiled brightly./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh, you got upgrades? No, you know what you got? A big fat balloon for a head, one so full of hot air it's a wonder you don't float away, especially since you're so scrawny! And why do you think being upgraded makes you magically invulnerable to trouble-making girls who decide to lie in order to spend time with you? That's so stupid! You don't have to brag so much! Not everyone gets to spend time with my father so stop cramming it down everyone's throat!" Aelita snapped./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, I...I didn't know it bothered you so much." Odd blinked. "That outburst was..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I...I'm sorry I snapped, that wasn't like me." Aelita frowned and bowed her head. "Just...please don't brag so much. I know it's in your nature to brag, but in this case, it's just hurtful./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't worry, Princess, I'll try to stop." Odd promised. "So, about you and Alex..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He's a good friend. I like having him around."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, see, I think he's flirting with you and-"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd, don't be stupid. He's just nice. Anyway, there she is." Odd turned around to see Samantha./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Samantha!" Odd hopped on his skateboard and rolled over to her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd!" Samantha hugged him when he got close enough. "Whoa, you look different."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Thanks." Odd grinned. "I brought my cousin along, if that's okay. She wants to get better, and I figure, who else but the two best skaters out there to teach her?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""And who's first and who's second?" Samantha smirked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We'll see in a few minutes, won't we?" Odd pushed away from Samantha, ollie'd and grinded on a pipe./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get back here!" Samantha followed suit, doing a harder grind on the same pipe. "You won't beat me this time!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"A knock rang at Jeremie's door, in his new room. "One minute." He saved the document he was reading and closed it. He went to the door and opened it. "Patrick."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Jeremie!" Patrick hugged him. "How's it going, man?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It's going." Jeremie stepped aside so Patrick could come in with his bags. Jim was behind him. "Hi, Jim."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm sure you're very happy to see family." Jim set down another bag. "Need anything, Patrick?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No thanks, Mr. Morales."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Call me Jim. Mr. Morales was my father." Jim smiled and Patrick smiled back. "I'm sure Jeremie can show you around. You were here for such a short time, you probably missed a lot of the campus."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I bet I did." Patrick turned around. "What?" The look on Jeremie's face perturbed him./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Nothing." Jeremie crossed the room to close the door as Patrick looked around./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Got any games on your computer?" Patrick plopped in the chair and put his fingers on the keyboard./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, those keys are sensitive, be careful!" Jeremie's call came too late, as Patrick had inaverdently managed to press the shortcut keys to bring up chat windows with Yumi, Ulrich, Odd, Aelita, William, Franz, himself and Alex all at once./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, aren't those five your friends? Who's the other blonde dude and that old guy? Why are they wearing those outfits?" Patrick stared at the avatars by each text box./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get away!" Jeremie cried as he pushed over and closed the windows./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Was that you in the top corner? Why did you look so ridiculous?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't worry about it."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's your problem, anyway?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why are you back? I thought your parents wanted you closer to home." Jeremie snarked, his tone of voice obviously irritating Patrick./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm back here because of your crazy mom." Patrick sat on his new bed. "I didn't want to come, but since my father owes a lot of money to Aunt Beatrice she had to go and-"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""She didn't make your father take that loan!" Jeremie snapped./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, she sure didn't make it any easier." Patrick crossed his arms./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It's not my fault your mother was in that car accident. If she hadn't been talking on her cell phone-"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It wasn't her fault they cut her off!" Patrick interrupted, causing Jeremie to back away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""That's not what the police said. The judge found her guilty, too. My mom helped your parents out because your dad is her brother. We nearly lost our house until he sold the three lots to those Germans. If that deal hadn't gone through, we would have been worse off than you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich heard yelling from Jeremie's room. "Xana?" He went to the door and flung it open. "Jeremie! What's going on?" he yelled as it swung, and saw Patrick. "Oh, hi Patrick. Why are you guys yelling?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich, I believe you owe me a rematch, huh?" Patrick smiled at Ulrich, trying to ignore Jeremie's stare./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He doesn't owe you anything." Jeremie growled./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Jeremie."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whoa, wait what happened?" Ulrich looked back and forth between the two cousins./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""None of your business." Jeremie stared back at Ulrich./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He's mad I'm here, but he's the reason why I got sent here." Patrick complained./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? You didn't want to come back?" Ulrich blinked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No. When I first came here, sure, but at my old school, I made friends and stuff. I had to leave them behind, all because my uncle's genius son has been messing up and I have to look after him."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I haven't messed up and I don't need you to look after me." Jeremie hissed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Then why did your father call mine, telling him to send me here? I'll tell you why. Because your grades have dropped and you've been skipping classes. I had to leave my friends and Naomi behind because of you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, but, your parents didn't give you a choice? Yeah, that sounds like your mom..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick ignored Jeremie. "Well, my father owes Jeremie's mom some money, and she lords the debt over him. Jeremie seems to think my mother is to blame."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I...shut up, Patrick. You had no problem coming here last time."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Last time, I wasn't leaving my friends and girlfriend behind. Last time, I was coming to a new school and maybe getting to hang out with my cousin. Now I've been sent here to babysit you because you've been messing up. If I had a choice, I would have stayed at my old school."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, I'm sorry! I have something important that I absolutely have to take care of! Ulrich, you tell him!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, uh, yeah, we do. But Jeremie, um...this is bad. We can't tell you, Patrick. Sorry."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, I've been sent here to figure it out. If you won't tell me, I'll have to figure it out on my own."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It's none of your business! Not everything involves you! If it was just me I'd understand, but you can't go sticking your nose in stuff involving Aelita, and Ulrich, and Yumi, and William and Alex!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I don't care! I don't care if they're involved, and I don't even know who Alex is, and it's because of whatever this is that I've been sent here! Maybe if I stop it, your psycho mother will let me come home!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, man, I'm sorry, but if you get under our skin, we'll take care of you. I don't know what happened between your parents and stuff, but Jeremie's my friend and I'm going to have to stick with him." Ulrich cut in./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't worry, you can take out your frustrations on me in a game of foosball." Ulrich nodded and left. Patrick was on good terms with Ulrich, but not Jeremie./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Samantha and Aelita sat at a table, alone, as Odd went over to the concession stand to get the trio something to drink. "So, um, he's happy to see you." Aelita smiled sweetly./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You think so? I keep messing up around your cousin. I seem to screw things up, but when he's around, I can't think." Samantha sighed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I know what you mean." Aelita blushed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But he's your cousin." Samantha glanced over Aelita's shoulder to see Odd coming back with the drinks. "He's pretty cute, but I don't know if he's emthat /emcute." Samantha laughed as Aelita blushed more and Odd got closer. "Odd! I think she's ready to try a kick flip."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you sure? Her last ollie was pretty high, but she might need more time before doing one of those."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I want to try." Aelita took a lemonade from Odd. "Thanks."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No problem, Princess." Odd handed another lemonade to Samantha./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xana was spying on the group as always. He watched Aelita and Odd in particular. They were away from the others, and were also the biggest threat to him. Aelita could deactivate Towers, and Odd's threat level had risen significantly since his upgrades. He'd need to make sure to either destroy Franz when he returned with the upgraded Alex, or keep Franz from coming back at all./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Try it!" Odd watched as Aelita gained speed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm ready!" Aelita moved her foot back, kicked up the front of the board and tried to do a kick flip. She screeched as she fell on her rear./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Princess!" Odd ran over to her, worried, but Aelita laughed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm okay." She sat up, slowly. Odd extended a hand and pulled her up. "You were right. I wasn't ready."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh, come on. You did great." Samantha clapped her hands, laughing. "I remember one time, I was trying to ollie over a few bricks and nearly broke my nose. You only bruised your butt, and your pride."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It still hurts." Aelita laughed and smiled, rubbing her hip. Odd leaned over to her ear./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't worry Princess. I'm sure it's still…" Before Odd could finish, a black mist appeared from a light post behind Samantha. "Samantha!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What?" Samantha's answer came in the form of the black mist attacking her. Aelita reached for her phone to find its screen was blank and cracked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd, call the others."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My phone is in the lockers so that I wouldn't break it if I fell."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You could have told me about that before." Aelita held her phone out to him, showing him the damage./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Run, I'll slow Xana down." Odd took a fighting stance, one that was somewhat close to the basic shuto uke stance, but still informal and unpracticed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But...be careful, Odd. We just got you back. We can't lose you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You won't lose me, Princess. I promise." Odd turned to Samantha. "Come on, Xana, let's see what you have for Odd 2.0."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""More than you could ever handle!" Samantha sparked with energy as Aelita sprinted away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie's laptop started to beep. "Super Scan."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's that?" Patrick blinked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""None of your business, Patrick." Jeremie opened his laptop. "Forest Sector." He closed it again, and started to leave, when Patrick grabbed his arm./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Where are you going?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""None of your business." Jeremie pulled his arm free./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It is too. Your mother got me sent here because of you. Where you go, I go, until I can go back."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Fine, whatever, I don't care." Jeremie ran off and Patrick followed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich was in his room, working on homework, when his phone rang. He leaned over and picked it up off of his bed. "Hello?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get to the Factory. Xana's attacking."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Got it."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi was staring at a map in William's dorm room, working on a geography project./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""So that's Zimbabwe, right? Then is that Zambia? Or is it the other way?" She pointed at two African countries./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, I think Zambia is the one on top." He stared at the map, which had no country names on it. Their task was to memorize all of the landlocked countries of Africa, and this was the practice map for South Africa./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I know Malawi is right next to that lake." Yumi's phone rang. "Jeremie?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Xana's attacking. Get to the Factory."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay. William's here, so don't call him."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Bye." She hung up and turned to William. "Guess who decided to attack."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie tried to call Odd and Aelita, but neither one answered. "If they're together, then... I don't know." Jeremie put his phone in his pocket./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's Xana, and what Factory?" Patrick asked, garnering no attention./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd dodged a punch and kicked Samantha under the ribs. "Sorry Samantha, but I won't go easy on you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You will not win, no matter what you do." Samantha's hands glowed and she threw an energy orb. He ducked, and it hit a ramp behind him./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I don't have to win. I just need Aelita to make it to the Factory." Odd lunged at Samantha and tackled her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Aelita could see the Factory, and ran even harder. The sooner she made it to the activated Tower, the sooner Odd was out of danger./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich got to the Factory next. He took the Elevator down to the Control Room to find Aelita. "Odd said you two were going to the skate park."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Xana possessed Samantha. Odd is taking care of her."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""White hipster Samantha or black skater Samantha?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Skater Samantha."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What does he see in her, anyway?" Aelita shrugged her shoulders. "What's wrong?" When Aelita went to sit down in the computer chair, she gasped and held her hip, obviously in pain./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I hurt myself skateboarding. Nothing major. I'm sure it'll heal when I go to Lyoko." Aelita remained standing as the two waited for the others./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie and Patrick made it to the Factory. "Wow, what is this place?" Jeremie ignored Patrick and swung on a rope down to the Factory floor below. Patrick followed after him and into the elevator./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey Patrick." Ulrich waved as the elevator doors opened and Patrick looked around, stunned./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What is all this?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We'll explain it to you after the attack is over." Jeremie sat down in the chair. "Aelita, where's Odd?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Fighting Samantha. Xana possessed her."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Samantha? Black skater Samantha?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yup."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""So he's still seeing her?" Jeremie had a twinge of hope in his voice. Sure, she was trashy and a felon, but anyone to keep Odd away from Aelita would do just fine./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I guess they both still like each other." Aelita looked at the screen. "The Mountain Sector. We better be ready for the Dark Angel."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah, without Odd and Alex, we'll have to be extra careful." Ulrich looked at the elevator. "Did you call Yumi and William?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""They're coming." Jeremie nodded./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd was running away from Samantha. Others had seen the fight, for one, and he didn't want the crowd to get hurt, for two. "Come on, Xana, I think Samantha could run faster than that." Odd leapt over a small fence. Samantha simply phased through it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi and William made it to the Factory and took the elevator down to the Control Room. "Oh, um, Patrick?" Yumi blinked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Who's that?" William stared at Patrick./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You don't remember me, Will?" Patrick made a fake hurt expression./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It's William, and um, no."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We played foosball together."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You probably played foosball with my clone."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""That...isn't the weirdest thing I've heard today." Patrick admitted./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get to the Scanner Room, you four." Jeremie brought up the Scanners window and three ID Cards as the Warriors got on the elevator and took it down./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Transfer William, Transfer Ulrich, Transfer Yumi. Scanner William, Scanner Ulrich, Scanner Yumi. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Mountain Sector as planned, and Jeremie pulled up Aelita's ID Card./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, your friends are wearing those dopey outfits again." Patrick looked over Jeremie's shoulder at the ID Cards as his cousin's hands flew over the keys./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Transfer Aelita. Scanner Aelita. Virtualization." She landed near the others as the vehicles formed. "Head north on that path, then go east at the second turn. Be on the lookout for any monsters or the Nautilus."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Got it, Jeremie." Ulrich barked as he climbed onto the Overbike and took off./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd saw the riverfront near the Factory and ran towards it. He leapt over the side and dove in. Samantha leapt after him, leaving a little splash. Odd swam to the other side and climbed out. Samantha simply used Xana's powers to fly out of the river, and landed in front of Odd. "I'm done letting you run." Samantha charged with energy as Odd backed away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, I was just playing. Samantha's my friend and I know how much she likes to play." Odd gave one of his stupid gigantic grins./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You will never play again." Samantha lunged at Odd who fell backwards, grabbed Samantha, and used her momentum to fling her several meters away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Maybe not with Samantha but I have someone else in mind." Odd grinned again./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ever the pervert, Odd. You won't be joking for long." Samantha growled as she crawled back up./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The Warriors arrived at the Tower. "The Dark Angel brought some friends." Ulrich observed as he unsheathed one of his swords, using the other hand to drive the Overbike. Three Megatanks and two Hornets circled around the Dark Angel./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""As Odd would say, it's time for a Yoo-hoo its us." Yumi withdrew a fan with her free hand./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm ready." William pulled his Zweihander from the black smoke, trying to keep it level as he held Yumi's waist with his other hand./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""This might be fun." Aelita on the Overboard created an energy orb./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd and Samantha wrestled on the ground. Both were soaking wet, and Odd was tiring. Even his upgrades didn't make him invincible, unlike a Xana possession. Samantha was effectively untouchable. She smashed her fist against his temple, and he screamed out./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You will die now." Samantha charged with energy./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"William held his Zweihander defensively, blocking lasers from the Hornets, as Yumi launched her fans at them, and missed. They spiraled in the air and boomeranged back to her, and she threw them again. One hit a Hornet and destroyed it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Good job, Yumi." William blocked another laser./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Just keep blocking them." Yumi threw a fan at the last Hornet but missed it again./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich went after the Dark Angel. "Stand still!" Ulrich swung a sword at its head. It dodged it and Ulrich tried to shove his other sword into its stomach. The Dark Angel moved in an abnormal way to dodge it, twisting around and bending backward./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy field at a Megatank, but hit the outer shell. "Energy Field!" She charged more energy into this one, making it larger than normal. When the Megatank opened to fire, she launched the orb and destroyed it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart and the two clones attacked the Dark Angel. "Triangulate!" They began to run./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""This trick will not work on me, Ulrich. I am too fast and agile. Xana used quite a bit of data and resources to give me self-awareness and a higher degree of intelligence than all other monsters combined." A clone slashed at the Dark Angel, but it dodged and reached out, hitting the clone, destroying it, plus the Triangulation barrier./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You're faster than I thought." Ulrich and the clone stopped. "But we'll kill you again anyway." Ulrich lunged at the Dark Angel. It bent backwards and Ulrich flew over it, but as it bent back up, the clone swung and slashed it across the chest. It spun around and kicked the clone away as the wound glowed and sparked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi threw her fans with a shout and missed, but as they came back, she put her hands to her temples and began to glow. "Telekinesis..." she breathed. Her fans glowed as well, and it flew around again, this time hitting the Hornet./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" Aelita flung it, but the Megatank rolled out of the way and she missed. It opened and charged up a shot. It turned off into the distance, for some reason, and Aelita looked where it was aiming. A huge splash displaced the waters of the Digital Sea, and something vaulted out./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""The Nautilus!" Aelita yelled. "No, the Megatank is going to blast it!" Yumi glanced over and swung her arm toward the Megatank, the still-glowing fans looping around and slicing through its Eye, then returning to her hands./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, go! Hurry!" Yumi yelled as she panted, tired from using her power./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, something's on the screen. Aelita, watch out! The Scyphozoa is coming!" Jeremie screamed as loud as he could./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No!" William saw it first. "Rosetta!" He swung his sword and sent an energy blade to the Scyphozoa. The attack hit its mark, but the Scyphozoa remained. "Aelita run, fly, anything! Don't let it get to you or the Nautilus!" William charged another energy blade and launched it. It missed the body of the Scyphozoa, but cut through most of its tentacles./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""William, you just lost sixty Life Points."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I know!" A capsule, like the one fired when Odd returned, launched from the Nautilus and buffeted the Scyphozoa, which floated away. "Get away! We won't let you take anyone else!" This monster scared him more than any other. "Die!" He launched a third energy blade at the Scyphozoa as it hovered away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"A figure shot out of the Nautilus and landed, much more gracefully than any of his previous landings on Lyoko. "Happy to see me, I hope." Alex's body was more muscled and toned, and his headband was gone, instead replaced by two green marks like triangular claws facing downward on either temple, and two slimmer, smaller marks below each cheek. The scleras of his eyes were as black as the jet suit he wore. However, the most notable upgrade to his apparel was a forest green longcoat, with metallic gray pads on the shoulder and four claw-mark rips on each arm, going down, showing his bare muscled arms. His old green shoulder pads were gone, as was the ring with the bolt on his chest. The ring was instead replaced by the two green lines converging and going straight down his torso. Another green line circled the neck of his jumpsuit./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stupid boy." The Dark Angel levitated away from Ulrich, onto a small tree. It propelled off and took flight, soaring through the Lyoko air and ramming William off of the Overwing. Yumi was the next to be shoved out, and both were lucky enough to land on solid ground. The Dark Angel flew towards the Nautilus, firing lasers rapidly and getting closer./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" Aelita aimed for Dark Angel, and missed it, instead hitting the Overwing. As the machine became a wireframe and faded away, the Dark Angel maintained its momentum and wasn't able to use its hovering ability to right itself. Once it finally stopped sailing away horizontally, it had nothing to propell off of and it couldn't take flight. Seconds later, the monster fell into the Digital Sea./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Nice, Aelita!" Alex smiled warmly. "Too bad, too. I wanted to take a shot at that monster. Can the returning hero get a hug from the lovely princess?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ha!" Aelita laughed as she dismounted the Overboard to give him a quick hug. "You sound like Odd. I'm worried about him, but he can hold his own with his own upgrades. For now I want to talk to my father." She looked past him, off into the horizon. "Where'd the Nautilus go?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Guess he already left." Alex shrugged./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I...I'll go deactivate the Tower." She stepped back onto the Overboard and took off for the Tower./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd had managed to get away from Samantha before she finished him off, but she soon had him pinned again. This time he had no way to escape her superhuman hold./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whoa." Samantha was herself again as the sign of Xana disappeared from her eyes. "Odd," In the moment she had weakened, Odd had rolled over on top of her, and realized she was no longer Xanafied. "What happened?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't worry about it." The white bubble of a return came up, reversing time all the way back to the evening before./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The team was at the Factory, both to materialize Alex from Lyoko and to put into place the security failsafes on almost every program. "Materialization." Aelita, Yumi, Odd, Ulrich and William waited in the Scanner Room for the Scanner to open and the smoke to clear./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Did it work?" Yumi raised her eyebrow. "Nothing's happening."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hold on." Jeremie lowered the security for a moment. "There we go." Alex's new ID Card began to discolor and empty. In the room below, the middle Scanner doors slid open and smoke came out./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey." He stepped out, his arms crossed. Like Odd had been, he was in a new set of clothes. He now wore a digital camo army jacket, matching pants, and his usual combat boots./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's with the French Army getup?" William scratched his chin./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I saw Odd got some new clothes, and I've always wanted to have something like this." Alex shrugged. "It seemed reasonable to me. It's not like I'll wear it every day. I'll just go back to my normal jacket and shirt tomorrow."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It's nice to have you back, army boy." Yumi smiled./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Five minutes before curfew, Aelita took the stairs to the boys' dorm and knocked on the door next to Jeremie's old room./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""One minute." Alex had just kicked off his combat boots and unzipped his new jacket, baring his torso now as well as his arms and shoulders. He scratched his chest, ruffling the hairs upon it, and yawned. He didn't bother to rezip the jacket, since he didn't figure anyone who would care about his chest being bare would be on the boy's floor at this hour. He opened the door and saw Aelita, who immediately gasped and covered her eyes./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What?" He blinked and looked down at himself. "Aw, that's a burn, you know I pride myself on my body."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Jeremie says it's bad for people to walk around with their chest bare, unless it's a boy who is swimming." Aelita whispered, and Alex laughed and looked at the ground./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, that only applies if you're walking around in a place like the school halls or in the city. Guys can go around shirtless on the dorm floor or in their homes or whatever."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What about girls?" Aelita looked perfectly innocent./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't you have your memories back?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah, but I was pretty sheltered. I just wore clothes because that's what I was told to do." She shrugged./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh. Well, as interesting as it would be if it was unisex," he raised his eyebrows playfully, "that's a guy thing."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""So, why are your breasts so puffy and hard and furry?" Alex made a laughing sound as his hand flew up to cover his mouth./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""They're called pecs, and that's just how they are if a guy stays in good shape. The hair's just there because of my dad being Italian, but it's blonde because my mom's German."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh, pecs like pectoral muscles? Another guy thing?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah...? How do you not know...nevermind."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I think this is what Odd would call an awkward conversation."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Very much so."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next morning, Jeremie was arguing with Patrick once again, having not learned from his mistake the last time and not taking the chance to be on decent terms with his cousin./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Aelita was, once again, with Odd and Samantha, and Odd, once again, left to get lemonade. Aelita leaned forward on her elbows, steepling her fingers. "Samantha, why do you do the stuff you do?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do you mean?" Samantha blinked./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You wanted him to help you steal some equipment. Don't think I didn't hear about that. And last time you were near Odd, you didn't give him the message that Ulrich told you to. It almost got someone hurt, very badly at that." Aelita chided./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I didn't know. I just wanted to spend more time with him."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But you live far away now. Do you really think it would work?" Aelita glanced over, for Odd was coming back./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, but a girl can...hey, wait a minute. I see the way you're looking at him." Samantha looked to Odd and back to Aelita. "You're cousins, aren't you?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Um, what?" Aelita peeled her eyes away from Odd./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aren't you two cousins?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Um, can you keep a secret?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, um, don't tell anyone, but we aren't really cousins. Our families are really close, and, um, yeah."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi was stunned. She had been going to the mall when she saw Odd. She had always thought of him as being Ulrich's annoying friend, but he'd changed. His personality had improved a bit, and he was a bit taller, a bit less scrawny. She wasn't going to intrude on anything until she saw Aelita as well. emCool, I wonder if I could hang out with them./em She started to walk over, but she heard Aelita's statementof their lack of blood relation, and Sissi gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she backed away for a second before continuing toward her friends./p 


	15. Episode 136: Chances

_**A/N: **__Two early chapters? What a lucky day! Hope this makes up for that unplanned hiatus. Expect more early chapters throughout the week!_

Aelita was talking on the phone. "Um, I'd love to, but I can't go. I have school and stuff."

"Mr. Delmas says your grades are _amazing_ and he says it's okay if you come with us on tour, so long as we do a fundraiser for the school at the end of next year. He says its too close to the end of this year for that kind of thing, but he'd love to have us next year in exchange for letting you come on tour." Chris, of the Subdigitals, said, his voice coming through clearly.

"But, um, I'd have to ask my parents."

"Okay, Aelita, and don't worry. We'll keep you safe. Life on tour can be rough, but we'll make sure you're taken care of. We'll even pay you for your performances." Aelita bit her lip, torn. She wanted to go -she loved her music- but Xana was out there, ready to attack. She couldn't go, no matter how much she wanted to go, because she had to deactivate Towers. "Goodbye, my Pink Star."

"Bye, Chris." Aelita hung up.

"Do it." Aelita turned to see Odd.

"But you know I can't."

"Well, there might be a way. Where does the tour go?"

"Chris said they will start in London, go to Berlin, then Rome and finally Paris." Aelita sighed, and Odd rubbed his chin.

"What if um, uh, let me think." Odd concentrated, but was interrupted by Aelita's laugh. "What?" She smiled.

"I've never seen you think so hard before."

"Well, it's for something important. I know how much you love your music. I thought I was good, but you blow me out of the water." Odd snapped his fingers. "Jeremie can activate a Tower and send a ghost like he did with me. It'll make you faster and stronger so you can run or whatever back to the Factory."

"That won't work."

"Why not?"

"Even powered up, it could take me hours to get back." Odd frowned. "It's my fault. I started the Super Computer up again."

"And you were right. Franz Hopper is alive. You also have to remember Tyron has his computer, and just because it'll be wrecked with a virus if he turns it on doesn't mean he couldn't attack. We need Lyoko to fight back. And Jeremie said Xana has more Super Computers. Xana might have come back anyway, if someone found them and turned one on."

"What are the chances of that?" Odd smiled.

"What are the chances of Jeremie finding the first one?" Aelita laughed a little. "He shouldn't be mad at you, and you shouldn't be punished like this. We'll think of something." Odd hugged Aelita and her face flushed with color. "If anything, we'll just magically make Xana not attack."

"If only that was possible."

-( ( • ) ) -

In the office of Mr. Delmas, there was a heated argument going on.

"Elisabeth, please, tell me what is bothering you!" Mr. Delmas pleaded.

"I can't! I won't tell on my friends!" Sissi shook her head.

"So it's your friends! Is it Pichon? Stones? Ishiyama? Du'Rona? Perhaps it's that troublemaker, Dunbar." the stern principal guessed.

"I won't tell you!"

"Elisabeth, tell me or I will take your phone, your makeup, your mirror, your CDs, and keep you locked up in a classroom all day, every day, so you won't see your friends!" he threatened. Sissi bit her lip.

"They aren't really cousins!" she blurted.

"Who? Della Robbia and Stones?" Mr. Delmas's eyes widened, and Sissi looked away, ashamed that she'd betrayed her new friends. "But why would they lie?"

"I don't know. Ask her." She looked ready to cry, but a knock rang at the door.

"Who is it?"

"Me, Mr. Delmas." a gruff voice identified itself.

"Come in, Jim." Jim opened the door and closed it behind him. "Jim, my daughter says she overheard Aelita say that she and Odd aren't really cousins."

"Well, sir, I was just looking up something. Remember a few weeks ago when Alex gave us that message from Odd about his Aunt Tia, but we thought he said Antea at first?"

"Yes, Jim."

"Well, the name stuck in my head, and I've been looking it up." Jim turned to Sissi. "Elisabeth, could you please leave?"

"I don't want to. I can't let you punish my friends, Daddy!" Sissi begged.

"Mr. Delmas, this is important. I think it should stay a secret." Jim nodded.

"Elisabeth, please leave." Sissi remained mostly silent, save for a few sniffles and a sob as she closed the door behind her, mortified.

"What is it, Jim?" Jim handed Mr. Delmas a folder, and he opened it. "Who is this?" Mr. Delmas was suprised to see a woman with pink hair. "Aelita's mother? What is so important about that?"

"That's Antea, the wife of a former teacher."

"Wait a minute. Yes, the old science teacher, Franz Hopper. I knew he had a daughter, but he quit more than a decade ago."

"Nine years. But how did he quit? I looked it up and it says he just stopped showing up."

"Well, yes. He moved from an old house near the campus." Mr. Delmas shook his head.

"But why would he send Aelita here?"

"Wait, you think he sent her here? His daughter, or more likely, granddaughter."

"Mr. Delmas, I...I shouldn't talk about this."

"Spit it out." Mr. Delmas ordered.

"At the Christmas party, two years before he disappeared, he invited me to his house. His daughter was asleep already. We talked and I was telling him about some of the things I've done in my past careers."

"And?"

"He told me he once worked for the government. But he was on the run. His real name isn't Franz Hopper."

"Wait, the government? Which one?"

"He didn't say. He probably wouldn't have told me anything, but he was probably drunk."

"Then how can you trust anything he said?"

"Because he sounded scared when he told me. Why be scared of something that wasn't true? He was on the run from them, and hoped a life here in France would give him a new start. When he first disappeared I thought maybe the government got him. But now I think something else happened."

"What?" Mr. Delmas leaned forward, enthralled in Jim's story.

"What if the government did find him, but he ran? He and his daughter could have moved somewhere else to hide."

"But that doesn't explain his granddaughter being here or being Odd's cousin. I'll call his mother."

"Wait. Mr. Delmas, maybe while running, Franz met the Della Robbia family. If he was running, it's possible he ran to New Zealand. Maybe they became friends. But then he decided to move again, or something."

"That doesn't explain Aelita."

"Well, maybe he left something behind."

"What?"

"I don't know. If the government was after him he had to have something they wanted. When I was working for the special forces-"

"You worked for the special forces?"

"I don't have time to talk about it. But when I did work for them, we always had a mission. There was a reason for what we did. So there must be a reason for them to be chasing Franz. Maybe that reason was left here at the school, and he sent his granddaughter to Kadic Academy to find it."

"But she's from Canada, and her last name is Stones."

"He changed his name once, he could do it again. Maybe she is from Canada. I doubt he would have stayed in one place for very long if the government was after him. I looked up his past address, and it was in Russia, and before that, Liechtenstein. The KGB could still be after him if he was working on a top secret project. Maybe it ended when the USSR fell, or that may have been when he decided to run."

"But Jim, I...I'll call Odd's parents."

"Good. I'll bet they say they have no idea who Aelita is."

"Why would they do that?"

"The Russian government could be watching the school. If they link Aelita to Odd's family, they may go after them."

"But, her paperwork and the references."

"Franz was a computer genius. He could have done it." Jim pulled a piece of paper out of the file. "I think he sent Aelita here to find what he left behind. The school could be in danger if the Russian government comes after her."

"Jim, this is preposterous."

"What if it isn't? What are the chances of a woman with pink hair having a daughter that just happens to have a daughter that comes to Kadic Academy, all after her grandfather worked there then disappeared?" Mr. Delmas looked through the file. "We have to protect the school."

"Jim how many hours have you spent on this?"

"Days, weeks. Antea, the name stuck in my head. I still can't get it out."

"Jim, this is unbelievable. I, I'll look some things up, but we can't ask Aelita or Odd about this. If what you say is wrong, they may say something to their parents and get the school in trouble."

"And if I'm right?"

"Franz may come on his own. If the Russian government is looking for him, it will only put the school in more danger."

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita slumped against a tree in the woods, wondering what to do. She rubbed her fingers against the keys on the face of her phone, feeling the creases between each number. A small, hazy wind was blowing, taking water particles like small clouds through the woods. Suffice to say, it was a foggy afternoon. She wanted to go on tour, and she had permission from Mr. Delmas, but Xana forced her to stay. She wouldn't get to take the opportunity of a lifetime to play for thousands of people. A tear rolled from her eyes and plopped onto the screen, taking its place among the condensed droplets of water from the fog.

"I hate you, Xana." Her bitter words matched the bitter sting of the cold wind. It took every ounce of strength she had to keep a river of tears from following the first drop as she hit the call button, Chris's number already dialed, to break the bad news.

-( ( • ) ) -

In the Desert Sector, a Tower took on a sinister red hue.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was finally in the Control Room. He had to take his chance when Patrick went to the bathroom, as his cousin had been following him like a lost puppy everywhere he went. Jeremie was working on a program when the Super Scan beeped. "Super Scan," He looked at the screen. "What are you planning this time, Xana?" Jeremie pulled up the phone window.

-( ( • ) ) -

A black, hazy mist, not unlike the fog in the woods, rose out of a control panel in a helicopter, sparking the controls to life and taking the aircraft over. Two other helicopters at two other hospitals recieved the same treatment.

"Huh?" A crew member was obviously confused as he tried to regain control of his craft. The mist lanced out and invaded his body through his mouth, traveling to his brain and taking over the electrical currents. In each plane, each crew member's goggles morphed into black sunglasses with red Eyes of Xana in the lenses, and their uniforms morphed into black suits with matching ties and white shirts. The helicopters all morphed into stealthy black crafts as they took off, into the air.

-( ( • ) ) -

"I'm sorry Chris, they said no." Aelita wiped her eye.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Pink Star. Maybe I could talk to them."

"They said no. I don't think anything could make them change their minds." Aelita fought back the urge to burst into sobs. She knew was denying herself the experience of a lifetime. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Aelita. Nico, Benoit and Sophie will be disappointed."

"I'm still sorry."

"Well, I guess it means we'll just have to wait to be in Paris before listening to your music."

"Um, I guess. I knew you were doing the school fundraiser if Mr. Delmas agreed to let me go, but I'm not going, so..."

"He still gave you permission. Besides, if it means getting to hear your rocking beats, we can take some time to play at a school."

"Okay Chris. Um, good luck on your tour."

"It's only a week. We have to spend most of our time on an airplane getting to the different locations."

"Sounds really boring."

"It is, but it's still exciting stepping off, knowing you're going to play for a new crowd."

"I wouldn't know...won't get to know."

"You will one day, Aelita, my Pink Star." She hung up and stared at the phone's screen for a moment. She started to walk back to the campus when she heard the sound of blades spinning. Aelita turned her head skyward and saw a black helicopter zooming toward the school.

"What's going on?" Another helicopter trailed behind the first. "Was someone hurt?" She continued walking towards the campus.

The third helicopter arrived soon, and long ropes dropped from them above the school.

"What is going on here?!" Mr. Delmas stormed outside from his office. His combover was absolutely ruined and his glasses almost flew away as the helicopters lowered. Two agents rappeled down the ropes to the campus below. "Who are you and what do you think you're doing here?!" he barked.

"Are you Jean-Pierre Delmas?" A woman with black sunglasses in a suit stepped forward, her hair strung tightly in a bun. She had a thick Russian accent, though her voice sounded distorted.

"Yes, now answer my question!" demanded the principal.

"Where are Aelita Stones and Odd Della Robbia?"

"Wait, how do you know their-" Mr. Delmas stopped when he noticed that he was surrounded by agents. "The Russian government." he breathed.

"Ja." The woman grabbed Mr. Delmas by the arm. "Tell us where they are."

"I don't know where they are right now. Unhand me!" He pulled away.

"Call them and tell them to come here. If you resist, you will be considered an enemy of our government and will be treated as an accomplice." Another agent handed Mr. Delmas a cell phone.

"I...I don't know their numbers. We have them saved in the school's computers." Another agent grabbed his other arm as the woman took her grip again.

"Take us." Mr. Delmas led them into the main building and to his office.

"This is bad." Aelita backed away from around a tree when her cell phone rang. "Jeremie?"

"Xana's attacking."

"Okay, um, we'll need a return." Aelita hung up and started to run.

-( ( • ) ) -

"There, just don't hurt the other students." An agent sat down at the desk and typed away.

"Her signal. Give me the device." An agent pulled a small black box out. The other agent took it and inserted it into the front USB port.

"What are you doing?" Mr. Delmas hollered. "Listen, that is _my_ computer and I will not allow a foreign government with no jurisdiction here to walk all over my establishment. This is France and you cannot stay here without showing me a warrant!"

"Shut up." The woman from before barked and shot him a glare. The computer beeped and the agent took the device out. "Come on." The agents left the office.

"Jim was right." Mr. Delmas slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. "This is very bad."

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich was running towards the sewer entrance in the woods when he saw the six agents. "This is bad." Ulrich waited for them, doing some stretches behind a group of trees to ready himself for the fight. _I could get one of them with a roundhouse, then spin into a back kick and get another, and one more with a second roundhouse after that._ He planned a strategy in his head, calling upon his years of Pencak Silat training. They climbed down into the sewers, and after a moment to give him a chance to get a surprise attack on them, he followed them into the sewers. He noticed Jeremie's scooter and Aelita's skateboard were missing. "If they're the only two at the Factory, those six will tear them apart. Gotta stop those agents." Ulrich took off after the agents, kicking off the ground to gain momentum on his skateboard.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex sprinted through the woods, vying to take the above-ground route after seeing the agents before Ulrich had. His digital camo attire he had asked Franz to program for him did a decent job of camouflaging him as he sprinted at a higher speed than he normally could without upgrades, his muscular arms and legs pumping and swinging. "I love my life..." he sighed, questioning himself as to whether he was being sarcastic or not. "And these upgrades." He knew bragging on himself was a flaw, but he couldn't help himself. His physique was his thing, but running never was. With Franz boosting his leg muscles and making him overall more robust and burly, and in his own vain opinion, strapping, he could run for a lot longer than before.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was running on street level, down the sidewalk. With his upgrades, he was much faster than normal. "Move!" He dodged an older couple and nearly crashed into a trash can. "Watch out! Lyoko Warrior coming through!" Odd sprung over a baby stroller and leapt over a cat.

-( ( • ) ) -

William and Yumi were quite frustrated as they conversed in his dorm. "You realize those helicopters were probably the attack." William sighed.

"Which means we'll have to go over a bunch of the project again." Yumi ran a hand through her hair, noting her geography project.

"Again." William grunted his irritation as he ran along side Yumi toward the sewer entrance in the woods.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich caught up to the agents. "Stop right there!" Three of the six turned around. "I meant all of you." Ulrich knew the numbers were against him, and was ready to turn and run. "But I can handle the three of you."

"Ulrich, prepare to die." Three agents lunged at him, and he turned on his skateboard and pushed away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William were climbing down the ladder and about to mount their skateboards when Ulrich streaked past them. "Ulrich!" Yumi shouted out, but Ulrich ignored her. She opened her mouth to yell again when the agents ran past her and William, ignoring the two.

"That's not good." William observed as the agents, fixed on Ulrich, sprinted down the passage.

"They ignored us. Why?" William shrugged at Yumi's inquiry. "Don't you have any idea what Xana might be planning? You were in his mind for a while."

"Not really. He just gave me orders and I followed them. I barely have any memories of when I was possessed." William and Yumi continued towards the Factory, hoping Ulrich could get away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex burst out of the woods and took off down the sidewalk to the Factory. He passed Odd on the way. "Wanna race?" he shouted to the purple-clad boy, slowing down a bit as he sidestepped to avoid a woman.

"You're on!" Odd sped up as Alex resumed his full sprint.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita climbed out of the sewers and replaced the manhole cover. A few seconds later, both Alex and Odd nearly crashed into her on their way to the Factory entrance.

"Beat ya!" Odd chirped happily.

"Yeah, right. I could beat you in a race any day, and that's just before my upgrades making me the best athlete at Kadic."

"Oh, please." Aelita walked up. "Xana could be causing immense havoc right now, there's no time to argue." she scolded as she passed the two and swung down to the elevator.

"Sorry, Princess." Odd blinked, but a smile spread across his face. "I still won, no matter how much of a muscleman you are. You gotta have lean muscle to win a race." Odd rubbed his stomach as the two walked into the elevator.

"Lean muscle does no good if you don't practice and you don't have good calves and a good core." Alex tilted his left leg, causing the muscle to show through the digital camo pants.

"You just want to brag on yourself. You have a good and incredibly buff body, I'll give you that, but I'm nice and svelte. And your looks are subpar compared to mine. Nobody likes a braggart."

"Hypocrite much?"

"Did you guys see those helicopters?" Aelita interrupted as the elevator slowly went down.

"Yeah, is that the attack?" Odd tilted his head.

"Probably. But I don't know what they're doing." Odd and Alex both looked up, their upgraded ears picking something up.

"I think the others made it." Alex noted. There was a large thud, some creaking, and just as the elevator doors opened, an agent shot a ball of energy into the elevator from the other side of the room. Aelita dove to the ground as Odd and Alex sprung to the side.

"Aelita! Get to Lyoko!" Odd prepared to fight, taking on a basic stance, as Alex took a shuto uke stance.

"Don't get hurt." Aelita pleaded.

"Trust me, Princess." the two boys said in unison, both shooting a look at the other.

"I do." Aelita noted Jeremie slumped in a corner as she took a dove for the ladder to the Scanner Room. The nearest agent clawed at her arms but she let go of the top rungs, and caught the lower ones.

"Come on, MIB, try on the BIP." Odd joked.

"BIP?" Alex blinked as he exited the elevator and began circling the room.

"Boy In Purple." Odd waited for the agent to lunge at him, then hammered the elevator button, causing the doors to shut. The agent growled and sprung up to the Factory floor, phasing through the ceiling and using Xana's powers to jump unnaturally high.

"Jeremie, wake up!" Alex shook him, and Jeremie groaned.

The first agent joined two other agents as the elevator doors opened on the top floor.

"Lucy, I'm home!" Odd unleashed a flying kick.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William made it to the Factory and saw Odd fighting three agents near the elevator. Thinking they were the same three the duo had seen chase Ulrich, Yumi gasped and cringed. She let a war cry ring out as she jumped from the upper floor and tackled an agent, as opposed to taking the rope down. She crawled up and kicked an agent from behind, sending it crashing into the remaining one.

"Thanks!" Odd sprung at the two agents Yumi had caused to collide, and kicked the first one, hard, in the chest. It crashed into the second one, and they both began to spark, phasing through the wall and ending up in the river outside. "Hurry, you two. I'll play with them until Ulrich gets here." Odd turned to face the remaining agent.

"They already got him." William explained.

"Then let's go." Odd spun and kicked at the agent's head, but his foot went through. He ran for the Elevator as the other two Lyoko Warriors joined him, just as the two agents phased back into the building and lunged. Yumi screamed and kicked them away.

"Hurry!" William got into the elevator first. Yumi boarded and William pushed the button just as Odd ran and slid under the door.

"I hope Ulrich's okay." Odd dusted himself off.

"I do too." Yumi bit on a nail in worry.

The elevator went straight down to the Scanner Room. The three stepped off and approached each Scanner. "Ulrich's not coming, Einstein." Odd steps into the middle Scanner.

"Okay." Jeremie pulled up the transfer bar. "Transfer Odd." The cards all zoomed past a selector, stopping on Odd's. "Transfer William, Transfer Yumi." The cards zoomed forward to William's, and then back to Yumi's. Three windows with wireframes, with the respective cards beside each, appeared. "Scanner Odd, Scanner William, Scanner Yumi. Virtualization." They landed in the Desert Sector.

"You guys better catch up. Alex and Aelita went ahead on the Overbike. The Tower is due west. You're pretty close, the other two didn't get far." Jeremie warned.

"I call Overboard!" Odd ran over and hopped onto it. Yumi and William got on the Overwing. Odd zoomed away first, but the other two soon caught up.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich vaulted over a gap in the sewers. He landed hard on the other side, and fell off of the skateboard. The three agents sprung across and thudded near him. "I won't give up, Xana." An agent growled and kicked Ulrich in the stomach, forcing him to roll over onto his back. Seeing a vulnerable spot, the woman who had ordered Mr. Delmas jammed her heel into his solar plexus, squeezing a scream from his lungs.

The Lyoko Warriors were reunited when Odd stopped by Aelita and Alex, who were hiding behind a rock formation on the Overbike, with Alex driving.

"So that's your upgrade? More muscle and a jacket, and face paint?" Odd blinked. "It does make you look good, I'll grant you that. Are you trying to be the hottest guy at Kadic? Because you're still behind me, but I guess you're getting close. I mean, you either love bulky guys or hate them."

"...Are you hitting on me?" Alex backed away with an uncomfortable expression on his face.

"No!" Odd cried. "No! I was trying to make you feel good about yourself. A peace offering to make up for beating you in that race."

"Thanks." Alex said flatly. "I hear you were a giant purple kitty for a while. Now you're just a neko, I guess?"

"Neko, I like that! See, this guy knows." Odd glared at Yumi, who rolled her eyes.

"Ulrich isn't with you?" Aelita tilted her head, her earring swaying. Yumi shook her head in response.

"I bet the agents went after him." Alex stared at the Tower. "We gotta get that Tower deactivated."

"They did. He might be hurt." William nodded in agreement.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie heard the elevator run back on Earth. "I think Ulrich just made it. He must've got away."

"It's not Ulrich!" Odd, Yumi, and William yelled out at the same time.

"Jeremie, get out of there." Yumi cried. Jeremie ran to the passage that would lead him out of the Control Room. The Lyoko Warriors finally emerged from their hiding spot, putting the Tower and the monsters guarding it into view.

"What is that?" Alex squinted. "You guys didn't describe a monster like that."

"That's because we've never seen it before." Aelita leaned to look over his brawny shoulder. There was a new monster in front of the Tower. It was large with a green body, and it had two large legs coming out from its chest, fleshy red ankles and metallic feet, one iron toe on each side of the foot. Swaying between the legs was a large, sinewy tail with a flat fin-like tip. Its neck was muscly and sinewy, and its bony head was long and slender and had what looked like a beak under its Eye of Xana. Metallic spines along the back reminiscent of a stegosaurus gave it a bit of extra protection. The monster, stirred by the sounds of the approaching vehicle, raised its head, pryed its beak open, and fired a laser.

"Watch out!" Odd flew down and tried to knock Aelita off the Overbike to protect her, spraying exhaust and heat onto her and Alex, but the newly-upgraded pilot veered to the left to avoid the laser. The laser hit the Overboard and destroyed it, and Odd plummeted to the ground.

"Odd, are you okay?" Aelita cried frantically.

"No problem, Princess." Aelita quickly glanced over at Odd, who rolled over as a laser flew overhead. "We better be careful."

"Right." Aelita agreed as Alex veered to the right to avoid another laser, and she charged an energy field.

"Lita, can you drive the Overbike?" Alex glanced over his shoulder.

"Yeah, I have before." She nodded.

"Good." He jumped off, and just before he hit the ground, began to glow green. "Lightspeed!" He charged ahead, quickly nearing the new monster. "Die!" He sprung into the air, firing bullets from his pistols down the beast's spine. The monster reeled back a bit, but wasn't destroyed.

"How tough can this thing be?" Aelita wondered as she slowed down, the green blur that was Alex mounting the Overbike once again.

Yumi spun her fans at the new monster, but only cut it across the shoulder. "Where's the Eye?"

"Is that it on its head?" William raised his sword and blocked a laser. "Whoa!" He had to grab onto Yumi to stay on the Overwing, the force of the new monster's laser being enough to launch him away.

"Watch it, William." Yumi warned, leaning away from William's grasp.

"Sorry, but that thing has powerful lasers." William saw it charging another laser, and prepared to to block it.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd blasted it on the leg, but it did nothing. "Princess, this thing is really strong."

"We have to be extra careful. We don't know what it will do." Aelita watched the new monster shot at Yumi and William on the Overwing. William braced himself and blocked the laser, this time holding his ground. Yumi yelled out and threw her fans again, and the monster swiped its tail at one. The fan fell to the Sector floor harmlessly as the other one cut it on the leg. The monster was mostly unfazed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was running across the bridge when the three agents appeared, obviously done with Ulrich. The one who had kicked him, the woman with the tight bun and Russian accent, blocked Jeremie's path. "Stop right there, Belpois!"

"What do you want?" Jeremie growled, looking for a way out.

"I want Aelita and her father." the woman barked.

"Like I'd give her to you." Jeremie backed away when the other three agents, the ones that Odd, Ulrich and Yumi had distracted, rose out of the ground behind him. He was surrounded.

"You will. Why not give them to us? Like she cares about you, now that Odd Della Robbia has come back and she flirts with Alex just to spite you."

"She does care. We love each other. She was just hurt."

"Then why does she ignore you?"

"She doesn't ignore me!"

"Doesn't she?" Jeremie heard crackling behind him, and turned around to see an orb floating in the air. Inside, it showed Aelita and Odd's kiss in the elevator, Alex giving her roses, her commenting on his outfit, and Odd hugging her in the Factory.

"I deserved those comments and that hug after what I said. The roses were just a friendly gift. The kiss was a cover-up. She and Alex are friends, and she and Odd are just closer friends. Anything that was particularly 'bad' was deserved. I brought them upon myself."

"Did you? Even after she released me, you still couldn't hate her. You may have been mad, but did you run off with another girl? No, because you still loved her. She went straight to Odd."

"I pushed her away so hard, I'm lucky she came back."

"Did she? She was with him earlier."

"They're friends, cousins."

"You know that's a lie."

"It doesn't matter. She still cares for me." Jeremie tried to jump over the edge of the bridge to swim away, but an agent tackled him to the ground. "Let me go!"

"Give us Aelita and Franz Hopper!"

"Never!" The agents fell upon him.

-( ( • ) ) -

William was off of the Overwing and attacking the new monster. "For a big guy, he sure is fast." He swung his sword but missed.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd hit the monster several times, but did no damage. "Princess, try your attack."

"I'm concentrating." Aelita had two orbs in her hands. She clung to the Overbike with her legs as she combined them. The new energy orb grew larger and larger. "Energy Field!" She flung it at the new monster, but missed. The energy orb exploded and damaged a pile of rocks.

"Just die already!" Alex aimed with a pistol, using the other hand to control the Overbike, and fired three bullets. The monster swung its tail in front of it, deflecting two of the bullets. The other impacted its head, but just missed the eye. "Damn!"

"Take this!" William charged his sword. "Rosetta!" He swung it, hard. The energy blade flared out and sliced the monster across the chest. It took a couple of steps backwards, but wasn't destroyed. "No way! This thing can't be destroyed."

"It can by the Eye is on its head." Aelita created an energy orb. "Energy Field!" She threw and missed. The monster fired a laser and destroyed the Overbike, and fired another into Alex, launching him off the edge.

"No!" Yumi screamed out and used her telekinesis to pull him back up. As he was about to be set back on his feet, another laser lanced into his chest, finishing him off.

The Scanner doors opened and he fell out, panting. "So close..." Alex slammed a fist against the Scanner wall. "Gotta help Jeremie." He shot out of the Scanner and into the elevator.

"Watch out!" Aelita cried as the monster roared and charged William. William thrusted his Zweihander forward, but the monster used its tail to knock it out of the way, then slammed into William. William sailed backwards and landed hard on the Sector floor. He started to get up, but the monster blasted him with two lasers, devirtualizing him.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired and missed the Eye.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw it and hit the monster, but missed the Eye. That was their main problem; hitting the monster but not the Eye. The monster roared, but wasn't destroyed like other monsters. Yumi screamed and threw her fans again at the roaring monster, which was too busy roaring in surprise and pain as pink energy from Aelita's energy field distracted it. A fan cut it across the Eye, destroying it.

"Just have to hit the Eye and it'll go down." Yumi observed.

"Easier said than done." Odd turned to Aelita. "Your Tower awaits you, Princess." Aelita walked into the Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

William was sitting on the floor of the Control Room when he heard the elevator running. The doors opened to reveal a beaten Jeremie, six agents, and a restrained Alex, who was groaning and pulling against the superhuman hold. Jeremie was bleeding in several places, and Alex had a huge bruise on his forehead, his bright blonde hair falling out of place.

"No, you better not have killed Jeremie!" William could see Alex struggling and was less concerned for him than the unmoving Jeremie.

"We will unless you join Xana again, William."

"Never." William attacked the agent holding Jeremie's shirt collar. The three agents not holding either boy tackled him, slamming him into the floor and pummeling him as well as their captives.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble came up.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was talking on the phone. "Um, I'd love to, but I can't go. I have school and stuff."

"Mr. Delmas says your grades are amazing and he says it's okay if you come with us on tour, so long as we do a fundraiser for the school at the end of next year. He says its too close to the end of this year for that kind of thing, but he'd love to have us next year in exchange for letting you come on tour."

"But, um, I'd have to ask my parents."

"Okay, Aelita, and don't worry. We'll keep you safe. Life on tour can be rough, but we'll make sure you're taken care of. We'll even pay you for your performances." Aelita bit her lip, torn. She wanted to go-she loved her music- but Xana was out there, ready to attack. She couldn't go, no matter how much she wanted to go, because she had to deactivate Towers. "Goodbye, my Pink Star."

"Bye, Chris." Aelita hung up.

"Do it." Aelita turned around to see Odd.

"You know I can't."

"I know, but you should still do it. Forget Xana and Lyoko." Odd walked over to her. "I'm sorry you can't go."

"It's my fault. I released Xana."

"And you proved your father was still alive." Odd hugged Aelita. "You were right, Princess."

"It doesn't help me, though. I still can't go." Aelita hugged Odd back, trying not to cry as a once in a lifetime opportunity passed her by.

-( ( • ) ) -

In another part of the school, Jim knocked on the door to Mr. Delmas' office.


	16. Episode 137: Planet Net

**_A/N:_**_ Hello my lovelies! Another chapter this fine evening and all week long! Thanks so much for reading and especially reviewing, you guys make this all worth it! It really makes me sooooooo happy to look at the views or see a review be added so thank you! :)_

The Subdigitals were in France and were coming to Kadic Academy, and as promised, Aelita would open for them again, just as she would next year at prom. Even though it would be a smaller crowd than her first concert, she still couldn't believe it. Her stomach flipped around as she tried to decide on what music to play. She decided to go to Jeremie's room, hoping to work on the Super Computer and talk with him. Things had been rough lately, but she still had feelings for him.

"Jeremie?" She knocked on the door.

"He's not here right now." Patrick's voice answered.

"Oh, do you know where he went?"

"No. He gave me the slip. He left his homework here too. I'm supposed to find out why he keeps missing classes and stuff."

"Um, can you open the door?"

"He's not here."

"Well, I don't know where he is and would rather wait for him in there than out here." Patrick opened the door and Aelita stepped in. She took note of his laptop on the desk. Jeremie wouldn't be gone for long without his laptop, she knew.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was coming back from the sewers for his laptop. In his rush to get away from Patrick, he forgot it. When he got to his room, he put his ear on the door to hear if Patrick was in there.

"I don't know. I wish I did, Patrick. I'm so worried about him." Jeremie continued to listen. "I messed up a few weeks ago but I apologized and he said he forgave me."

"What did you do?"

"After he said something horrible to me, I flirted with some other guys. He saw us but he knew what he said was terrible. We made up and tried to date and stuff but things keep getting in the way."

"I'm sorry, Aelita. I don't know him as well as I used to, but I'm sure he still has feelings for you. As beautiful as you are, I know I couldn't stay mad at you." Jeremie waited for more, but heard only silence. He flung the door open.

"Stay away from her, Patrick!" Jeremie grabbed Aelita's wrist and yanked her out of the room.

"Jeremie, you're hurting me." Aelita pulled away from Jeremie. "Ow." She rubbed her wrist. "Where were you?"

"What were you just doing?"

"Waiting for you. I want to talk to you, Jeremie."

"About what? Patrick is the enemy, so don't talk to him."

"He isn't the enemy, Jeremie." Aelita was incredulous. "You know that Xana is. I was waiting for you." Aelita clasped Jeremie's hands in hers. "I want to talk to you."

"About what?"

"My concert is coming up. I'm so nervous."

"Why? You did a couple already at bigger events."

"I know, but I can't...I just don't want to screw up. When I'm up there, I can handle it, but the waiting freaks me out."

"If you know you'll be okay, why are you worrying? Sounds stupid to me." Aelita stared at Jeremie. He had his mind on other things and didn't realize how he should act, she knew, but that didn't excuse his indifference. "I was reading through some of the information Franz sent us,"

Aelita pushed Jeremie into the wall. "I can't believe you!" Tears filled her eyes. "I'm freaking out about my concert tomorrow night and you don't care! You don't care about me! You just go to the Factory no matter what is going on!"

"I have to, because you released Xana!"

"And I was right! My father was still alive and my mother can be found!"

"He tried to die to save us! I have to go to the Factory and fix your mistake, Aelita! Sorry if that takes time!"

"You, you think being reunited with my parents is a mistake? Don't be sorry, because I am! I'm sorry, alright! I'm sorry I saw any good left in you!" Aelita turned around and bounded away.

"Aelita, I, wait!" Jeremie took off after Aelita as Odd, Ulrich and Alex all watched from the oldest of the three's room, having been distracted from the Z-Ramid by screaming.

Aelita sprung down the last three steps of the staircase and rounded the corner, and Jeremie tried to do the same, but landed badly and fell to the floor. Aelita exited the dorm building as Jeremie clutched his knee.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next day, Aelita sat with Odd during class. She hadn't needed to worry about talking to Jeremie, as he was gone, most likely skipping class. Ms. Hertz was having a special class, as everyone was excited about the upcoming concert and dance.

"Today we'll have a lesson on computers." She had a monitor sitting on her desk, connected to a computer under it. "Many of you own one, and undoubtedly all of you have used one. This technology has changed the world. The world is round, but has metaphorically taken a different shape." She placed her hand on top of the monitor. "We can travel around the world, share another family's daily lives, and meet new friends. A trip that once took months can now be made instantly. We will be talking with a class from the United States of America."

Ms. Hertz reached to the top of her desk and used the mouse to start the connection. "Are you there? I have a message to send. Are you there?" A screen popped up.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle Hertz." An older man was in the screen. "Comment allez-vous et votre classe aujourd'hui?"

"We're fine, thank you, and how is your class, Mr. Madden?"

"We're tired, but very well. As you know, the time difference has us up late, but it was worth it."

"We're happy you could do this." Ms. Hertz turned to the class. "One simple connection with our computer allows us to travel far. So much information moves through the internet almost instantly. With the webcam, we can see who the others are."

"Yes, and we have some questions for your students." Mr. Madden moved out of the way and a girl with pink and blonde hair moved into the screen.

"Wow." Aelita was stunned and had her own questions to ask.

"Um, comment vos classes sont-elles installees en France?" The girl had a bit of trouble speaking the language.

"Well, instead of a different teacher for different years, I teach all the kids here at Kadic, from 6th to 12th grade. We're a boarding school so we aren't as populated as many schools. I use different lessons for each grade. This is my sophomore class, 10th grade. We recently started allowing children of higher grades in the Academy whenever we were able to get some more dorms and classrooms built, and to build a larger cafeteria while converting the old one into an ag shop for classes like automobile maintenance."

"That's very interesting. Our school recently did the same to our old cafeteria, but with a CT building for computers and technology." Mr. Madden said from offscreen. Aelita moved a bit closer, and the girl saw someone.

"Heidi!" The girl shrieked, and Heidi Klinger pushed through the crowd and began screeching back and jumping up and down.

"Vicki!" The two girls yelled and squealed. Aelita blinked and stepped back a bit.

"Who do we have here?" Mr. Madden returned to the screen.

"The student who suggested we speak with your class, specifically."

"What are the odds of this?! You're so pretty!" Heidi shrieked as the conversation continued.

"It's so good to see you at last, ever since we became pen pals I wanted to know what you looked like!" Vicki yelled back.

"Ah, well, as I'm sure you've told your students, we're in America. We're from the state of Maine, and Maine, as you might know, shares the border with our friendly neighbors to the north, Canada."

"We have a student from Canada." Ms. Hertz gestured to Aelita.

"Yes, well, any other questions?" The class continued, with both sides asking different questions. When Odd got a chance to ask a question, several girls pushed each other to look at him.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana noticed the communication with the school in America. He activated a Tower, and a black mist moved across the floor of Ms. Hertz's classroom and into her computer, where it instantly appeared in Mr. Madden's room and snuck into the power system.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was reading about materials used to build a Super Computer, when the Super Scan beeped. "Not now, almost onto the power system." Jeremie checked the Super Scan. "Mountain Sector. I have to call the others." Jeremie pulled his cell phone out and sent a text message to Ulrich.

-( ( • ) ) -

"SOS XANA." Ulrich put his phone away. "Guys, Xana is attacking." He looked at the wall clock. "We have three minutes before class is over."

"I don't want to skip lunch." Odd patted his stomach.

"Odd, you can eat at the concert tonight. Remember the last concert?" Aelita assured him, and he smiled at her.

"The buffet was great."

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie text messaged Yumi. "SOS XANA. Not good." She looked at the wall clock. "Three minutes. We can wait."

"Huh?" William hadn't been paying attention.

"Xana's attacking but class is almost over. We'll wait a couple minutes then head for the Factory."

"Okay." William tapped Alex's shoulder and whispered the news to him. The three stared at the clock and waited.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana left the school in America and traveled through power systems and went to a site just past the Canadian border, where there was an old warehouse. Xana entered it and into one of the Super Computers he had built, then disconnected from the line as a specter. The specter took the shape of an agent and turned the computer on, giving him a new Replika to draw power from.

-( ( • ) ) -

When the bell rang, the Lyoko Warriors sprinted out of their classrooms and met in the sewers near the woods.

On the way, Odd took the lead. "I wonder if Xana will send the Dark Angel, or the Scorpion."

"The what?" Aelita blinked.

"The Scorpion. The tail makes me think of a scorpion."

"There's a new monster?" Ulrich asked, but went ignored.

"That's stupid, Odd." Yumi rolled her eyes.

"It looks nothing like a scorpion." William shook his head.

"It looks more like, uh, I don't know, maybe a...hmm..." Alex started, then stammered.

"I named the others so I get to name this one." Odd decided as he and the others continued.

-( ( • ) ) -

Power was diverted from the Super Computer in Quebec, by Maine, to the one in France.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors arrived at the Factory and hurried to the Control Room. "What's the attack?" Yumi breathed. Jeremie shrugged his shoulders.

"There's nothing on the news, so it's probably local." Jeremie pulled up the transfer bar and the ID Card selector. "Hurry." The Lyoko Warriors got on the elevator and took it down to the Scanner Room.

"Transfer William, Transfer Odd, Transfer Ulrich. Scanner William, Scanner Odd, Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Mountain Sector. "Transfer Aelita, Transfer Yumi, Transfer Alex, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Yumi, Scanner Alex. Virtualization." They landed next to the others as the vehicles formed. "Head north and be careful!" Jeremie watched the green blips representing the team, plus Aelita's yellow, pass over the blue blips representing the Overvehicles, and zoom away.

Xana created three Kankrelats and two of another creature. The Kankrelats were different, as they were a dark smoke color with yellow-orange marks. The new creature was a steely green monster resembling a Hornet with three red wings, sharp mandibles on the head, and long, brown claws where the stinger would be. Behind them, the Scorpion materialized.

"Wait, something's going on." Jeremie saw signals coming to Lyoko. "One of them is coming from Italy, the other from Canada." Jeremie checked to make sure what he was seeing was correct.

"Jeremie, what is Xana doing?" Ulrich was nervous. He controlled the Overbike as Yumi sat behind him.

"I don't know. It's like when he sent the Kolossus, but I'm only seeing two signals." Jeremie confirmed their locations. "And I just found a new one."

"A new what?" Odd was on the Overboard with Aelita.

"Super Computer. Franz found seven, and I just found an eighth one." Jeremie worried as he wondered what Xana was planning.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors got to the activated Tower and saw the Scorpion, the new creatures, and the Dark Kankrelats. "New paint jobs and some fancy Hornets." William, on the Overwing, pulled his Zweihander out, holding onto Alex's shoulder with the other hand.

"No, they aren't Hornets. They look more like they'd be called Insekts. With a K for kreepy." Odd decided.

"Be careful. I doubt Xana would add the new looks just for show." Aelita looked around for a sneak attack.

"They're doing something." Yumi cautiously withdrew her fans from her datejime. The three Dark Kankrelats took the lead, moving faster than normal Kankrelats would.

"Like it matters? They're still Kankrelats." Ulrich scoffed as he withdrew his blades. Odd aimed and fired, but missed when a Dark Kankrelat sprung out of the way. "They're faster."

"Be careful. Xana did something to them and I can't bring up any information on them." Jeremie tried to hack into the information.

"Let me have a go." Yumi stood up on the back of the Overbike. She threw her fans at the Dark Kankrelats, and they amazingly leapt away from them.

"Try this." Alex fired five bullets, but the Dark Kankrelats avoided all of them.

"Yumi, you take control." Ulrich commanded as he prepared for a daring move. Yumi sat down and reached around him to grab the controls as he stood up. "Super Sprint!" He jumped off of the Overbike and sprinted across the Sector floor. The three Dark Kankrelats fired lasers and he blocked them with his swords. "They're stronger." The sabers glowed red. "That's not good."

"Ulrich, watch out!" William saw the Scorpion aim at Ulrich, but the warning came in time and Ulrich dodged the laser.

"Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart in mid-Super Sprint. The Dark Kankrelats fired at the clones and hit one.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired and missed.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw two energy orbs and missed as the Dark Kankrelats dodged them.

"Go." Ulrich and the last clone attacked the Dark Kankrelats. He slashed at one and cut a leg.

"Good job, Ulrich." Yumi got ready to use her fans.

"I was aiming for the Eye." Ulrich and his clone circled the three Dark Kankrelats, trying to hit them, but the three fired lasers too fast for the two Ulrichs to get closer.

"I'll handle the Scorpion." William had been tackled hard last time. He wanted another shot.

"Okay." Alex activated Lightspeed and jumped off, and his Life Points began to tick away.

Yumi saw William and tried to help. She screamed and flung her fans at the Scorpion, but it waved its tail, knocking both out of the air.

"Die!" William drove the Overwing straight at the Scorpion. It fired a laser and hit the Overwing. As it devirtualized, William held his sword in front of him. He cut the Scorpion deeply, almost in half. Any other monster would be destroyed, but the Scorpion roared and swung its tail at William. He was hit hard, and yelled out as he slid into a Dark Kankrelat.

"Impact!" Ulrich shoved his sword into the Dark Kankrelat, getting a surprise. "Whoa!" He leapt back as it swelled up. "Jeremie, it's doing something."

"I can't tell from here."

The Dark Kankrelat leapt at Ulrich, and he screamed as it exploded.

"You just lost fifty life points!"

"That was different." Odd aimed at another Dark Kankrelat and fired, but it dodged his attack.

"Help!" William put his Zweihander up as the Scorpion attacked him. He was easily crushed and devirtualized.

"You're finished!" Alex jumped up from behind William's fading wireframe and fired three bullets through it into the Scorpion's Eye. "Got it!" The Scorpion exploded.

"One signal just quit. The one from Italy." Jeremie began to figure it out. "Xana is using the Super Computers to make new monsters. Those new Kankrelats are being made by the Super Computer in Canada."

"That would explain why they're so strong." Aelita created another energy orb. "Energy Field!" She threw it but the Dark Kankrelat dodged them.

"Why we need to build our own."

"What?" Aelita blinked.

"I'll tell you later! Just get Aelita to the Tower!" Jeremie watched his friends fight on the screen.

"Ulrich, Yumi, we need to pull a Yoo-hoo It's Us." Odd took charge.

"Aelita, we'll distract and you dive." Ulrich was ready.

"Okay, be careful. We don't know what else they can do." Aelita soared over the others with her wings.

"Super Sprint!" Ulrich took off.

"On it!" Yumi threw her fans like frisbees.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired.

Aelita dove for the activated Tower. She watched her friends risk their lives to help her. Who knew what else these Dark Kankrelats could do. One of them shot Yumi in the shoulder, and the wound sparked. The sparks showered from her shoulder, which was currently a wireframe.

"Yumi, you lost thirty points and now you're losing them at two a second." Jeremie watched them deplete.

"Yumi!" Ulrich Super Sprinted to her and blocked the lasers from the Dark Kankrelats with his sabers.

"Princess!" Odd yelled as the Dark Angel formed. "Leave her alone!" Odd jumped off of the Overboard and tackled the newcomer. He wrestled with it and they rolled near the edge.

"Odd, be careful. You can't expect Franz to save you again." Jeremie watched Odd begin to roll away from the edge, but the Dark Angel pushed away from him and he began to fall.

"Odd!" Aelita cried.

"I got it!" Alex ran to the edge and emptied his clips into both the Dark Angel and Odd, devirtualizing them both before either could be swept away by the Digital Sea. Aelita breathed a sigh of relief as she ran into the activated Tower.

"No!" Ulrich felt a Dark Kankrelat's laser pierce into his leg. "It hurts! Why does it hurt?"

"It must be part of the new Dark monsters." Jeremie guessed. The pain distracted him as he rubbed where he was hit, and it got him again in the chest. The sparks spread like they had with Yumi, and he devirtualized.

"Ulrich!" Yumi used her fans to block lasers as she cried out, ignoring the pain in her shoulder. "Jeremie, if he was feeling pain when he got shot, does that mean devirtualizing him means he's..?"

"He's okay, he's here." Jeremie wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita. "Do we need a return, Jeremie?"

"I don't know. Xana may have activated the Tower just so he could make contact with his Super Computer in Canada." Jeremie theorized.

"We can't afford to make him any stronger. Unless we find a reason, we shouldn't launch a return." Aelita affirmed. Jeremie materialized Aelita and Alex, and went to materialize Yumi, but the sparking depleted the last of her Life Points and she came back on her own.

-( ( • ) ) -

In the Control Room, the group had a meeting. "Jeremie, why do we need to build a Super Computer? We already have one." Odd leaned against the wall.

"We can use it without Xana's influence. We could create another Lyoko and use its Towers for our own purposes without Xana being able to take over it."

"And send us a ghost to Jeremify us?" Odd smiled. "That'd be cool. I felt great when I fought Yolande with a ghost, except for the part about fighting Yolande."

Jeremie shook his head. "No, Odd. I could use it to create a new multi agent program and power it. I doubt Franz could help us again. That's why he's showing me how to make a new one, so we won't need him."

"Wow." Aelita was stunned. "But, Jeremie, we don't have the materials."

"Well, that's where you all come in. I can remake the translation program for the new Skid."

"Then what? Send us to Earth to steal stuff?" Yumi stared at him.

"Um, not really steal. Just borrow without asking." Jeremie looked away from the others. "It's to save the world."

William looked at the monitor. "Well, you should take a break tonight."

"Why? The more I work, the faster this will go."

"But Aelita has her concert tonight, you have to be there." Alex stared, amazed that Jeremie would just blow her off.

"I don't have time. I went to the last ones."

"So? I went to lunch yesterday. It doesn't mean I don't care about today's lunch." Odd laughed a little.

"Well, I'm sure she understands. She released Xana and now I have to stop him, again." Aelita glowered at him and got on the elevator. The others followed her and they left the Factory, leaving Jeremie behind.

-( ( • ) ) -

That night Aelita was dressed up for her concert in her skull top and burgundy skirt. She was putting a bit of eyeliner on, waiting in the girl's locker room, which was being used as the dressing room. "Pink Star, can I come in?"

"Sure, Chris." Aelita turned around and saw Chris with the group, minus Jeremie and plus Sissi.

"Hi, Princess." Odd walked over and hugged her.

"Wanted to wish you good luck tonight." Yumi hugged her as well, and the rest of the small crowd took turns hugging her and wishing her good look.

"She won't need it, she has all the skill anyone could hope for." Chris put a hand on her shoulder. "Any requests?"

"Just, um, did any of you see Jeremie?" The group looked at each other, then turned to Aelita and bobbed their heads no. "So he didn't make it." Odd shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, Princess."

"I'm glad the rest of you made it, I hope I impress you." Aelita beamed.

"You'll do great, you'll see." William assured her.

"Her music is great to dance to." Sissi laughed and swung her hips back and forth while snapping her fingers, deliberately bumping Ulrich with her butt, causing him to blush and stumble away awkwardly.

"I guess. Um, thanks, Chris, for letting me play for you." Aelita blushed, embarassed by all the attention.

"Thank _you_, Aelita, for gracing us with your music." Chris smiled at her. "Well, you're up in a couple minutes."

"I know! I'm so nervous." She laughed a bit.

"Tell you the truth, so am I. All the guys are before a concert, but once we're up there, the music is all there is."

"Wow, I feel the same way." Aelita felt her nerves calm. "Um, yeah, can I have a minute alone with my friends?"

"Sure, Pink Star, anything for you." Chris left the locker room.

"I can't wait to hear you, Princess." Odd smiled while the others nodded in agreement.

"Thank you all." They had a group hug, and the kids began to go and wait in the crowd, leaving one by one until Odd and Aelita were alone.

"I guess I should get going so you can finish getting ready." Odd turned to leave.

"Um, after I'm done, where will you be?" Aelita grabbed his arm.

"Where do you want me to be?"

"I don't want to be alone, and I doubt the others will want me around, since they'll all be flirting with each other."

"Yeah, I think Ulrich's going to make a move for Yumi, finally."

"What about William, Alex and Sissi?"

"William's going to go for Yumi, Sissi's going to go for Ulrich, and I guess Alex will either flirt with some other people or stay to himself. As much as I'd love to see Ulrich beat William up over Yumi, I'd rather be seeing you." Odd smiled, causing Aelita to blush as red as her bracelet.

"I, uh...yeah." Aelita blushed a bit more, but was saved from further embarassment by a knock at the door.

"Aelita, you're on." Chris's voice floated past the door.

"Okay." Aelita called back. Odd went to the door and opened it for her. She left the room and Odd disappeared in the crowd as she went onto the stage.

"And here she is, the Pink Superstar, Aelita Stones!" Aelita gazed out at the crowd in the gym. There were both students and adults. The adults had paid money to get into the fundraiser concert, but afterwards they would leave and the students would enjoy the dance.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was in the Control Room, stunned. "It can't be." He read the line again. "She can't be there." He read it again. "Antea is still alive, as we know, and being held by the Russian government." He read the line again. "In a base in Siberia. But why? Why would Tyron turn her over?" Jeremie read the line again. "Aelita would want to know this." Jeremie called her but she didn't answer. "That stupid concert. She'd rather know Tyron gave her mother to the KGB."

-( ( • ) ) -

After playing her opening act, Aelita climbed offstage and saw Odd in the dressing room. "How did I do?"

"You blew them away, Princess." Odd clapped his hands twice. "You looked like you were having fun."

"I was. It's amazing being up on stage."

"I bet it is." Odd smiled. "Let's go dance!"

"No way. The gym is packed."

"Well, once the Subdigitals are done, they're playing regular music over the speakers. We can dance then."

"Until then?"

"I saw they have a buffet table in the boys' locker room." Odd grinned and Aelita laughed.

"It's the least I can do." The two went to the other locker room so he could stuff himself.

-( ( • ) ) -

After an hour, Aelita was tired and Odd walked her out of the gym. As they get outside, a slow song started to play. "Ready to dance now?"

"Sure." Aelita and Odd held each other and danced. Near the end of the song Odd leaned down and kissed Aelita slowly and romantically on the lips. They kissed for only a second, but it was still a kiss.

"Oh my god." Sissi saw them as she was walking to the dorm building, stunned as her jaw dropped to the ground. She was a good distance away as she watched in shock.

Aelita broke the kiss and reeled away. "Princess, Aelita, I-"

Aelita shook her head. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry. I won't tell anyone."

"No, I, I'm sorry. I'm so confused."

"So am I. I know what I want but know I can't have it."

"It would never work. You'd get bored and mess with someone else like every other girl."

"I'm sorry." Odd walks away.

"No, Odd, don't be." Aelita watched him walk away. "Odd, don't go, please!" He either didn't hear, or was ignoring her, and kept walking. "I'm so tired, and lost, and I...I need to sleep." She turned and ran back to the dorms, passing Sissi on her way. Aelita wasn't able to sleep; she kept thinking about the kiss and what it would mean for her, for Odd and for Jeremie.


	17. Episode 138: Ghostbusters

Aelita was stunned as she read the same line that Jeremie had read during her concert. "Tyron abandoned her, he...he must have only wanted her to get to me and Lyoko. My mom is locked away in some base right now...Maybe the base belonging to Project Carthage, whoever they were, but my father abandoned them so they can't be good!" She reached out and touched the screen.

"I know." Jeremie watched Aelita's reaction. "We'll save her, Aelita." He reached out and touched her hand.

"Can we? How? Even if we did, where would we put her?"

"I don't know. A Translation to send you and the others to the base and break her out? It might work."

"I don't know. A Siberian base would be different from something Xana would build. Guns and bullets instead of lasers and stuff. Would we still just reappear back in the Skid if we get shot? Can we risk it?"

"I have no idea. It would be something we never dealt with before." Jeremie closed the file. "But there is something we have that I know works." Jeremie pushed out of the computer chair and approached a cardboard box sitting on the floor. He pulled something out that looked like a metal rod with a small round box and a fork at the end.

"What is that?" Aelita wrinkled her nose.

"My Ghost Buster 3.0. What do you think?" Jeremie handed it to Aelita.

"What does it do?" Aelita turned it over.

"Send an EMP shock through the end. You just hit the possessed person, and it'll destroy the specter. A lot smaller and more efficient than my last one, don't you think?" Jeremie smiled.

"That's amazing, Jeremie. When did you do it?"

"Between looking for Odd, and then Franz, Super Computers, learning how to build a new one, messing things up with you, and a lot of other things."

"Um, I, I'm sorry." Aelita hadn't told Jeremie about the kiss with Odd after her concert. "I yelled at you about this, but you, it was worth it."

"Exactly. But right now, we can't free your mother or find your father. I'll work on that though."

"_We'll_ work on it." Aelita set the Ghost Buster 3.0 down in the box. "I'll help you. But we can't skip classes."

"I have to. I need the extra time." Aelita hugged Jeremie.

"We won't skip classes. This is important, but Patrick is here because you skipped classes. Your parents are worried. Your grades have fallen. Xana is important, but he isn't everything."

"I, okay, Aelita. He isn't everything." Jeremie smiled at Aelita. "You're a large part of it. I'm doing this for you as much as I am for me. I know you want to find your parents, bring them back. You went behind our backs and fought Xana alone to do it. I, I was mad then but I know now I was wrong. Please forgive me."

"Only if you forgive me." Aelita hugged Jeremie again and he hugged her back.

"Of course, Aelita. You just wanted to save your parents." It wasn't what Aelita meant, but she wasn't going to ruin the moment.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was walking through the woods when he heard something coming from behind. He turned around and saw Milly and Tamiya. "Hi Milly, hi Tamiya." He smiled at the two freshmen.

"Um, Odd, being the cousin of Kadic Academy's hottest star we were wondering if you could um, give us an interview."

"Yeah about the star." Tamiya lifted the camera.

"I'm sorry, but the star wouldn't want me to talk about her behind her back." Odd leaned against a tree. "But if there's anything else you two wanna talk about, I'd be more than happy to spend time with you."

"Huh?" The two girls blinked.

"Well, maybe not now. Another few months and you might be ready." Odd turned around, laughing at their expense, as the two blushed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana activated a Tower. He wanted to see how Jeremie's Ghost Buster 3.0 worked, and see if it could be useful to him. If not, he would have to find a way to destroy it.

-( ( • ) ) -

"No, not now." Aelita saw the Super Scan come up. "Huh? Jeremie, the Sector number, it's at 5. Jeremie, we need to call the others and see what's going on."

"Got it." Jeremie pulled his cell phone out and called Ulrich as Aelita called Odd.

-( ( • ) ) -

Soon the Warriors were racing to Factory, figuratively. Odd arrived at the sewer entrance when he saw Sissi through the trees. "I can't let her see me go in the sewers." He approached her. "Hey Sissi, what's up?" He smiled at her.

"Hi Odd." Sissi smiled back. "Um, I was just taking a walk."

"So was I, great minds think alike, huh?" Odd grinned wider. "No Herve and Nicholas?"

"They're in detention. Got caught trying to sneak out and fish at the river near some old buildings last night." She blushed.

"Oh, really? So you're all alone right now." Sissi nearly swallowed her tongue as Odd walked closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "You know, we've never gone out alone have we?"

"Um, uh, no."

"Maybe we should. Get away from our other friends for awhile." Odd moved his hand down Sissi's arm.

"I, Odd, I,"

"It's okay, I know you aren't ready right now. Go to your room, change, do whatever, and meet me at the gates after dinner, okay?"

"Uh, sure." Sissi walked away.

"That should do it. I just hope we get a return. I'd hate to blow things with her before we even do anything." Odd ran back to the sewer entrance and climbed down.

-( ( • ) ) -

Sissi was almost back to her room when a black mist appeared from the lights on the ceiling and entered her body. She pixellated for a moment and lost color as she leapt through a window and landed two floors below. Returning to her normal appearance, minus the Eye of Xana replacing her normal eyes, she took off running, much faster than any normal human being possibly could.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors made it to the Factory and converged in the Scanner Room. "When you get to Lyoko, you're going to have a surprise." Jeremie's voice filled the room.

"What?" Yumi looked upwards.

"The Super Scan's Sector number was five."

"So we have to go to Sector 5 to deactivate the Tower. Big deal." Odd shrugged.

"Not exactly, Odd. The Super Scan works from zero up, not one up. Sector 5's designation is four, so if the Tower was there, the Super Scan would say four. There's some kind of new Sector, probably made by Xana."

"How'd he manage to do that?" William was amazed.

"He probably used one of his Super Computers to make a new Sector so he'd have ten more Towers at his disposal. He might make more Sectors later on."

"Great." Alex sighed. "Another Sector to get used to."

"Well, at least all of us have to get used to it." Aelita offered.

"We're ready." Ulrich stepped into a Scanner.

"Transfer Odd, Transfer Ulrich, Transfer William. Scanner Odd, Scanner Ulrich, Scanner William. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in a dark area with rocky brown walls and a ceiling. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer Aelita, Transfer Alex. Scanner Yumi, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Alex. Virtualization." The three landed next to the others as the vehicles formed.

The new Sector was like a cave system. There was dripping 'water' from stalactites above, and many tunnels snaking through larger chambers with Towers in them. Most of the tunnels were big enough to go through on the Vehicles and still have room to maneuver, but some were smaller. It resembled some kind of underground lagoon, as water collected on the floor and went up to knee-height for most of the Warriors. The walls were brown, but had a shimmering blue glow to them as well.

"Where to, Jeremie?" Ulrich got on the Overbike with Alex, who held his shoulders.

"West."

"Um, we can't see Sector 5, so we don't know which way that is." Aelita informed Jeremie while she and Odd got on the Overboard.

"Face that Tower I virtualized you by, and to your right."

"Got it, but there's a lot of tunnels, at least four that appear to go west." William warned, not wanting to go the wrong way, as he held Yumi's shoulders on the Overwing.

"Take the first one on the right, it should lead you there. I don't know what the attack is, yet, so be careful. You might find another new kind of monster. This Lagoon Sector could be dangerous." Jeremie watched his friends' blips take off into the tunnel as he crossed his fingers in hope.

-( ( • ) ) -

Sissi leapt over a building and landed on the roof of the next one. She saw the Factory, sprinted, and vaulted off of the side of the building, landing near the bridge.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie watched Sissi come into the Factory on the security camera. "Xana possessed Sissi!"

"We haven't made it to the Tower yet." Odd complained as he looked over at Ulrich. "We might have to send someone back."

"Yeah, maybe." Ulrich revved the engine and went a little faster, swerving to avoid a stalagmite and then again to avoid a hole that opened into the Digital Sea below.

-( ( • ) ) -

Sissi smashed the elevator and went crashing down into bottom of the shaft, level with the Super Computer Room.

-( ( • ) ) -

"What was that?" Yumi's voice was frantic. The crash was so loud, the Lyoko Warriors heard it through Jeremie's headset.

"That was the elevator." Jeremie heard the elevator doors of the Control Room being ripped open by a flying Sissi. "I need help!" Jeremie got out of the chair and started to run for the other passage out of the Control Room.

"Ghost Buster!" The others looked at Aelita. "Um, his new invention."

"Xana will never give him the chance to use it." William sighed hopelessly.

Odd flew on the Overboard over to Ulrich. "Me and Alex are the only ones strong enough to fight a possessed person with our upgrades. Devirtualize at least one of us, Ulrich."

"Are you sure?"

"You're the better fighter on Lyoko." Ulrich shrugged and took a sword with his left hand, and slashed Odd across the chest, devirtualizing him and leaving Aelita to pilot the Overboard.

"I'll go on the Overboard to make things less awkward if you want." Alex offered.

"Alright." Ulrich went to slow down as did Aelita so the electric Warrior could switch vehicles, but three Hornets came up behind the group.

"Watch out!" Aelita's cry came too late, for the Hornets shot Alex off of the Overbike.

"Ow!" He was slammed against the tunnel wall and rolled down to rest in the lagoon bed by some stalagmites. Next to him were two craters that opened above the Digital Sea, but had a tall enough rim to keep the lagoon water from draining into them. One Hornet flew down and rammed him into the nearest hole just as the other two sprayed acid. Fortunately for Alex, several globs fell on him, devirtualizing him before he could fall into the Sea.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie picked up the Ghost Buster 3.0, which was resting by the passage out of the Control Room, but Sissi pounced on him. "Sissi, Xana, no!" Jeremie struggled but couldn't fight Sissi off.

"That invention is interesting, but you will be crushed." Sissi snatched away the Ghost Buster 3.0 and scrutinized it. "You really thought this would stop me?" She taunted as she tossed it to the side. "It was a waste of time attacking just to see that useless junk." Sissi sparked with energy. "So I'll do something else."

"I don't think so, Xana." Sissi turned and saw Odd and Alex, the purple-wearing boy with the Ghost Buster 3.0. Alex tackled her off of Jeremie and rolled with her, pinning her. Odd lunged and Sissi tried to block, but Odd went around her and pressed the fork-like part against her thigh. He pushed the only button on it as Alex got off of her and backed away.

"No!" Sissi screamed as blue electricity ran down the fork-like part of the Ghost Buster 3.0 and destroyed the ghost.

"Cool, it worked." Odd looked at Sissi lying on the floor.

"Wait," Alex kneeled and touched her neck. "She isn't breathing."

"What?" Jeremie was happy to see his invention worked and was ready to get back to the Super Computer, but hesitated at that news.

"She's not breathing!" Alex lowered his head to her chest. "I can't hear her heart beating."

"This is really bad." Odd began to freak out.

"But, no. She has to be okay." Jeremie leaned down to Sissi and checked for himself. "You're right, she's not breathing."

"I'll try CPR." Alex tilted back her head.

"You know CPR?" Odd blinked.

"Of course. It's something the military generally knows." Alex explained as he gave her chest compressions. "It's helpful to know before you join up."

"We can't let her die, we have to do something." Jeremie shouted.

"I don't know what to do!" Odd threw his hands in the air. "Ew. You totally just kissed Sissi."

"Now isn't the time, Odd." Alex shot him a glare after trying two rescue breaths. "Scan her. That'll heal her, right?"

"No way! That would make her unaffected by the returns and we'd have to let her in the group." Jeremie shook his head.

"And let her die instead? No way! I'm scanning her!" Odd interjected.

"I'll try to help." Alex offered.

"No way, Odd. We just need to wait for Aelita to deactivate the Tower and launch a return."

"We won't have time! She's going to die!" Odd pushed Jeremie away as he leaned down to pick Sissi up.

"If she isn't already dead!" Alex added, taking hold of her by her armpits while Odd took her legs.

"You, I won't let you do it, you two. We can't let her into the group." Jeremie tried to get Odd and Alex to put Sissi back down.

"I won't let her or anyone else die! She's helped us before." Odd growled.

"But it will make her one of Xana's targets and she could die!" Jeremie reached for Sissi to take her from the two.

"She might already be dead!" Odd kicked out with his leg, getting Jeremie in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him.

Alex went down the ladder after Odd put Sissi on his shoulder, and the two slowly lowered her down. Alex put her in the middle Scanner and checked her pulse one last time to make sure.

"If she dies, we're done. We'll have to tell someone about this." Odd shook his head as he typed and brought up the transfer bar and ID Card selector.

"Stop it, Odd, we can't do this." Jeremie was still bent over, holding his stomach.

"Sorry, Jeremie. I'm not letting anyone die." Odd activated the transfer and the Scanner doors closed around Sissi.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, in the new Lagoon Sector, the Warriors came out in a gigantic chamber with the Tower on a small, dry islet at the other end, guarded by the Scorpion and two Megatanks, plus the two pursuing Hornets. One of them had been destroyed by Aelita.

"This should be interesting." Ulrich looked over at Yumi and William. "You two go after the Megatanks, I'll handle the Scorpion. Aelita, you get the Hornets and try to get into the Tower."

"Okay, Ulrich." Aelita turned around on the Overboard and fired an Energy Field at a Hornet, destroying one. She worried about Jeremie, Alex and Odd.

"What's going on?" Sissi's voice came out of the Super Computer's headset.

"Hi, Sissi." Odd put the headset on and smiled. "What are you doing there? I thought I told you to meet me at the gates of the school." he joked. On the other side of the Sector, the other Lyoko Warriors looked at the top of the cavern.

"Who are you talking to, Odd?" Aelita blinked, and he ignored her.

"He said Sissi's name, so that means...oh no." Yumi's eyes were wide as saucers.

"I, I don't know. Where am I? How can I hear you? Where did I get these clothes?" Sissi climbed to her feet near the Tower the others had virtualized by. Her hair was bound in a large Chinese-style bun with two additional buns on either side of her head, with poofy and fuzzy white cotton ball-like ornaments near her ears. She wore a black one-piece dress ending just below her thigh with yellow edging along the bottom, a white tapestry with a dragon design going down it from her neck down to the bottom of the dress, poofy straps just below her shoulders, and white gloves with frills at the wrist. Her small Mandarin footwear matched her hair and dress, while the socks, frilly at the top, matched her gloves and tapestry. A white flower decorated her left hip.

"Tell me, have you ever overheard us talking about a place called Lyoko, or someone named Xana?" Odd asked.

"Yeah, but, I don't remember. I was at the dorm building and um, now I'm here." Sissi looked around the Sector. "Wherever here is."

"You're on Lyoko. That thing over there is a Tower."

"Um, you said that you were just talking about a video game."

"Oh, no, we lied." Odd grinned, even though she couldn't see. "Well, Sissi, what do you think? Is it better when we're alone than with the others around?"

"It would be if I had a clue what was going on and if I could see you."

"Fair enough."

-( ( • ) ) -

Back near the Tower, Ulrich was ready, despite the shock of Sissi's apparent joining the group. "Now!" Ulrich jumped off of the Overbike. "Super Sprint!" He charged at the Scorpion, dodging lasers. Yumi threw her fans at a Megatank as it opened. She hit it across the Eye, destroying it.

"Great shot, Yumi." William had his Zweihander out. "I'll go after the other one, you just wait." William jumped off of the Overwing and landed on the cavern floor.

"Okay, I guess." Yumi hovered nearby. The Megatank opened and fired at William, but he dodged and charged his sword.

"Rosetta!" When he swung it, the energy blade arced out, but the Megatank closed. When it opened, William charged at it. It fired and he put his Zweihander up, stifling the blast. "Yumi, get it!" She yelled out and threw her fans, destroying the Megatank and relieving William of holding the shot back.

Ulrich was getting closer to the Scorpion. "Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart. The Scorpion hit a clone and destroyed it. Ulrich lunged at the Scorpion but it swung its tail and hit him. The remaining clone jumped over the tail and slashed at the Scorpion. The Scorpion backed away and fired a laser, destroying the final clone.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an orb at the remaining Hornet and destroyed it. The Scorpion fired a laser at her and hit the Overboard, destroying it. She moved her hand over her watch, and her wings appeared.

"Ah, good, the Overboard is destroyed. Hey Sissi, watch this." Odd typed, using his upgrades to help him send the vehicle to Sissi. "Climb onto that baby and go into that first tunnel to your right."

"Um, how do I steer this?" Sissi asked as she stepped on.

"Bend your knees a bit and push down with your feet." Odd instructed as Jeremie finally recovered and stepped over, taking the headset away from Odd.

"Okay." Sissi obeyed Odd's instructions. "Oh my god!" She screamed as the Overboard screeched into the tunnel at breakneck speed, taking her with it.

"Odd, you idiot!" Jeremie shrieked as Alex came back up the ladder.

"Is that Jeremie?" Sissi yelled, having heard Jeremie's scream through the headset. Nobody answered her, but Odd did grin at Jeremie.

"Jeremie, go away, you're messing things up." Odd wanted to hear every bit of Sissi's first Lyoko experience.

"You messed things up! You scanned her, now she won't be affected-" Odd put a hand over Jeremie's mouth.

"Odd?" Sissi cried. "Odd!"

Alex managed to stifle a laugh. "This is too funny." He picked up the headset and put it on. "Hi Sissi."

"Alex! Is that you? Tell me how to make this thing slow down!" Sissi screeched.

"Oh, just lean back a bit." The Overboard came to a halt and Sissi went flying off of it. It hovered down to her as it was programmed to do.

"Thanks a million." She breathed a sigh of relief as she climbed back on and kept from going. "Is there any way to make it go slower?"

"Oh, yeah, just lean forward." Alex smirked evilly as Sissi's screams resumed.

-( ( • ) ) -

"What are the others doing?" She managed to yell, getting used to the high speed.

"Probably fighting the Scorpion, one of Xana's monsters." Alex answered nonchalantly.

"Um, is that it right there?" Sissi came into the chamber with the other Lyoko Warriors and flew around, barely avoiding the stalactites and walls.

"Sissi?!" Aelita gaped.

"Hi Aelita! Cute skirt!" Sissi's voice varied in pitch as she continued zipping around the area. Ulrich was battling the Scorpion in close combat. "Aelita, go for it!" He ducked under the tail and slashed the Scorpion across the chest. It charged him and slammed into him, knocking him away. Before he could get back up, the Scorpion fired two lasers, devirtualizing him.

"My turn." William dashed at the Scorpion from behind. It swung its tail at him, and he jumped over it. He slashed his Zweihander at the Scorpion, hitting it across the back. Yumi screamed out and threw her fans. The Scorpion shot one out of the air, and swung its tail, knocking the other one down.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw two energy orbs and one hit. The Scorpion was not destroyed, but was immobilized as the energy from the orbs sparked around it.

"Help me!" Sissi wailed as she finally managed to stop the Overboard again, once again sailing through the air. She landed smack on the Scorpion and held onto its back for dear life. Her hands began to glow.

"What?" Jeremie stared at the screen. The Scorpion's remaining thirty Life Points began to tick down. "What's going on over there?"

"Sissi's holding onto the Scorpion. Her hands are glowing and the Scorpion is flailing around." Yumi explained. The monster let out a roar and exploded, sending Sissi into the air.

"Ow!" She managed to crawl to her feet, and probably would have fainted if she was on Earth. Her hands still glowed.

"Good job, Sissi." William used Super Smoke to approach her and he held his hand up to offer a high five.

"Thanks." Her voice cracked and she looked ready to throw up. She managed to bring a hand up to high five William, and her hand stopped glowing when it made contact with the other Warrior.

"William, you just regained thirty Life Points." Jeremie informed.

"Does that mean Sissi has healing powers?" Alex managed to gather from watching the screen.

"Looks like it." Jeremie nodded.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita flew down and entered the activated Tower. She floated up to the second platform and placed her hand on the control panel. "Tower deactivated." The screens fell around her. "Maybe a return will glitch and erase Sissi's memory or something." She brought up the program. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble expanded, reversing time.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was in the woods by the sewer entrance as before. He looked to where Sissi was standing earlier, and saw her looking around, confused. "Sissi?" She screamed and turned around to see Odd.

"Odd, we, no, we already met." She panted.

"What?" He tilted his head.

"You, like, talked to me in the sky. And Jeremie, and Alex, and then the others were in this cave and we were wearing weird outfits. And you were talking about Lyoko, and Xana, and Towers, and Scorpions. Then Aelita went into this tall Tower thing and a bubble came up and here we are."

"Welcome to the club." He smiled.

"Tell me what's going on, please." Sissi begged.

"Come with me to my room. Ulrich and I will tell you all about it." He put an arm around her shoulder and walked away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and Aelita were working on the Super Computer, when a message box opened itself. "Aelita, Franz is contacting us!" Jeremie read the message.

"He wants to upgrade someone else? So soon?" Aelita read over Jeremie's shoulder.

"We're to send them to the Ice Sector so he can pick them up."

"But that means we'd need to make a clone again."

"And we'd have to ask who wants to go. Maybe Sissi should go."

"I can't. I need to deactivate the Towers."

"And William and Yumi refused last time we talked about it."

"Then I guess we see if Ulrich or Sissi will do it." Aelita pulled her cell phone out. "Ulrich, do you want to be upgraded?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Franz is offering it right now. If you come here we'll send you to him."

"Um, okay. We were just telling Sissi about Lyoko and Franz, since there's a lot she needs to know. I'll let Odd deal with a clone."

"Ask Sissi if she wants to be upgraded."

"Okay." Jeremie could hear talking in the background. "She wants to wait since she's new to this and it freaks her out."

"Alright. Get here as fast as you can."

-( ( • ) ) -

Soon, Ulrich was sent to Lyoko. A minute later, the Nautilus appeared from the Digital Sea. Ulrich walked over to it and saw an opening. He walked into it and the doors closed, and it disappeared. Jeremie leaned back in the computer chair. "Let's hope he's back soon."

"What's that?" Aelita pointed at a new file. Jeremie opened it for her.

"The location of two more Super Computers." Jeremie activated a Tower and the clone of Ulrich formed beside him.

"I'll take it to school. Call Alex and tell him what's going on." Aelita led the clone to the elevator and left the Factory.


	18. Episode 139: Friends to the End

_**A/N:** I can't believe myself, forgetting to post yesterday! Goodness. Hope this'll make up for it!_

It had been three days since Ulrich was taken by Franz for upgrades. Jeremie and Aelita were working on finding more information on Antea and her location, and a message window opened itself. "Whoa, it's Franz." Jeremie read the data. "He's done?"

"What?" Aelita glanced at the screen. "He's done already? It took a whole week with Alex, and even longer with Odd."

"Well, maybe he knew what to do this time." Jeremie and Aelita read through the rest. "He's sending him back in an hour."

"We need the others. You know, in case Xana attacks and tries to destroy the Nautilus." Jeremie pulled up the telephone app on the Super Computer and began to call the others.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd and Alex dragged the clone through the sewers. "Come on, Ulrich, buddy, you're almost done." Odd smiled.

"Done with what?"

"Your job." Alex grunted as he yanked the clone away from staring at a rat.

"I have a job?"

"Don't worry, you'll see." Odd smiled again and the two continued working on getting the clone to follow them.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William arrived next. "Is he really done this fast?" Yumi was both excited and worried. She missed Ulrich. After all, he was a really good friend. She worried that he would have the same sort of charm as Odd and Alex, not that all three boys weren't already charming in their own ways. Odd was a clown and a food lover, but also really empathetic and caring. Alex was good looking and well built, but also really loyal and dedicated. But most of all, Ulrich was quiet and precise, but also really down-to-earth and he related to her. He could charm any girl, and that meant she might get charmed too, and that could hurt their friendship.

Sissi arrived immediately as Yumi spoke. "I'm so excited for Ulrich to come back." Sissi was most definitely excited. She missed Ulrich. After all, he was her crush. She hoped that he'd have the same sort of charm as Odd and Alex, not that all three boys weren't already charming in their own ways. Odd was a jokester and charming, and really cute at times. Alex was hot and hunky, with all those muscles. But most of all, she thought Ulrich was super hot, super charming and super hunky, and fit the tall, dark and silent archetype pretty well. He could charm any girl, and that meant she'd be even more in love with him.

"I guess so. Franz is sending him soon." Jeremie interrupted their daydreaming.

"Where?" William leaned on the Holomap.

"The Desert Sector. I'll send you there to meet him in case Xana attacks." Jeremie pulled up the transfer bar and selector. "I already sent Odd, Alex and Aelita." Yumi, Sissi and William got back on the elevator and took it down to the Scanner Room. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Transfer Sissi. Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, Scanner Sissi. Virtualization." They landed in the Desert Sector, near the edge.

"Are you excited?" Odd smiled at Yumi and Sissi, both of whom looked away.

"I'll just be glad we can get rid of that stupid clone." Yumi scoffed.

"I just can't wait to have the _real_ Ulrich back." Sissi said with a blush.

"Oh come on, it wasn't so bad. I don't see why you guys complained so much about my clone."

"Your clone was dumb as a rock." William laughed a bit.

"So was Ulrich's, but I know how to treat them." Odd looked over the edge, looking for the Nautilus.

"And how's that?" Alex asked sarcastically.

"Make them want to do what you want them to do. You know? Like, 'Ulrich, go sit on the bed and do nothing.' When he asks why, say 'because you want to.' And he will." Odd couldn't see anything yet.

"We have about thirty minutes. Be careful. I hate having you guys being near the edge." Jeremie worried.

"We'll be fine." Aelita assured him.

Odd sat down. "Anyone have a board game or something we can play?" The group laughed and waited.

-( ( • ) ) -

Twenty minutes later, Xana activated a Tower. "Pulsations!" Aelita looked around. "Jeremie, where's the activated Tower?"

"Wait a minute." Jeremie watched the Super Scan until it found the activated Tower a few seconds later. "Desert Sector, not far from you. I'll send the vehicles." Jeremie did so and the group boarded them. "Go southeast. You're not far."

"Got it." Odd took off with Aelita on the Overboard and the others followed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Five minutes later, they could see the activated Tower and its guards. "Jeremie, Xana did something to the Hornets and Bloks." Yumi pulled her fans out.

"I'm getting signals." Jeremie started to track them.

"Well, we just found a hive, and boy, are they mad!" Odd prepared for battle as seven Dark Hornets and three Dark Bloks approached them.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the Dark Hornets, but missed.

"Watch out, Princess!" Odd yelled as he passed the Dark Bloks and they fired strange continuous lasers at Aelita. "Shield!" He blocked the lasers.

"Thank you, Odd." Aelita and Odd flew back as the Dark Hornets and Dark Bloks advanced.

"Enough!" Yumi threw her fans and missed as the Dark Hornets dodged them. "Where's Franz?!" Yumi backflipped and cartwheeled away from the monsters, and caught her fans.

"He should be here soon." Jeremie watched the screen, waiting for Franz to appear with Ulrich.

"Laser Claws!" Odd's claws glowed as he passed a Dark Hornet, and he reached out, slashing the Eye. The Dark Hornet spun around as it exploded, acid erupting from the blast. Fortunately, Odd and Aelita escaped on the Overboard.

"This is bad." William used his Zweihander to block lasers. "Yumi!" William moved to stay in front of her as a Dark Hornet zoomed down to attack her. He swung his Zweihander and cut the Dark Hornet in half, destroying it.

"Thanks, William." Yumi threw her fans and managed to destroy a Dark Blok.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired and hit another Dark Hornet. It also spun and spewed out acid before exploding, just like the last one. "Ulrich's going to be useless against these guys. If he gets close enough to hit them, they'll just spray him with acid." Odd fired more Laser Arrows at the Dark Hornets.

"Electrokinesis!" Alex was on the Overbike with Sissi, and he managed to steer with his elbows. He held his hands together and electricity sparked between them, forming into a large ball. The electric orb grew larger and larger with every second.

"Energy Field!" Aelita held her hands above her head and the energy field grew to the size of a large beach ball.

"Hey, Aelita!" Sissi called to her, and the pinkette looked down at her. "How about a combination attack?"

"Sure!" She called back. "On three!"

"Do we go on three or on go?" Alex asked to be sure as Sissi placed her hands on his shoulders. She began to glow, trying to transfer some of her energy to his attack.

"I hope this works." Sissi mumbled. She knew that she was able to drain the Scorpion and then give William the Life Points by making contact, so perhaps she could give Alex some of her power by making contact. Sure enough, the green ball of electricity began to shine with a heavenly white light.

"On three! One, two, three!" Aelita answered, and she threw the field. Alex outstretched his left hand, taking his and Sissi's energy orb with it and launching it. The two orbs mixed in midair, and became a swirling behemoth of pink, white and green plasma. Alex used his control over the electric part of the orb to curve it in midair. It rammed through two of the Dark Hornets, and then came down on a Dark Blok.

"Aw, yeah! That worked great. We should do that again some time." Alex smiled at Aelita from the Overbike.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie watched the screen as the red blips, representing Dark Hornets and Dark Bloks, disappeared one by one. "Good job, guys! Two Hornets and a Blok left!"

"Make it no Bloks left!" Odd shouted as he jumped atop the Dark Blok. "Laser Claws!" he cried as he dug his claws into the top eye, destroying it.

"Who's the king, baby?" Odd pumped his fist.

"Elvis." Aelita laughed as Odd slumped his shoulders and pouted. Yumi shouted and threw her fans, and missed once again.

"Maybe I do need an upgrade." She threw the fans once more.

"Wait, there's something on the screen." Jeremie zoomed in on the pale white blip. "It's Franz, it has to be him." The others turned to see the Nautilus flying over the Sector. When it got close, a small pod shot out of the side. The pod hit and destroyed a large boulder. As it screeched to a halt, an opening appeared on the side.

"Super Sprint!" Ulrich ran out. The two remaining Dark Hornets flew at him.

"Ulrich, be careful! They spray acid when they're hit!" Sissi warned. She noted the smile on Ulrich's face.

"Then I won't get close." Ulrich's swords glowed red, then he swung them. "Crescent!" Red energy blades shoot out of the sabers with each swing. The Dark Hornets dodged the first few energy blades, but were soon destroyed.

"Wow, cool, Ulrich!" Odd flew down on the Overboard and jumped off, landing next to Ulrich. "Looking good, too."

Ulrich was wearing his very first Lyoko outfit, but the green band around his waist wasn't as large, the black undershirt was gone and the sun mark was now a brown tattoo on his bare chest. His gloves started lower down his arms than they used to, the right glove only reaching his bicep and the left glove stopping just below his elbow, an inch above where the gauntlet stopped. Like Odd and Alex, he had taken an upgrade to his physique as well, and was at about the muscle level of Alex before upgrades; his abs were more defined, his biceps showed more, and his pecs showed a bit through his gi even though they were already visible.

"Feeling great." Ulrich stretched a little. "Glad to be out of the Nautilus." Ulrich looked up and saw the Nautilus flying away. "Mantas!"

"Xana's going after the Nautilus and Franz Hopper! Protect him!" Jeremie felt helpless as he watched.

"Laser Arrow!" From the distance he was at, Odd had a small target, but with his upgrades, he was able to hit the slow Mantas.

"No!" Yumi launched her fans as hard as she could and guided them with her telekinesis.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw energy orbs.

"Die!" Alex aimed both guns, and like Odd, was able to hit with his upgrades.

"Rosetta!" William sent an energy blade out from his Zweihander.

"Crescent!" Ulrich sent dozens of energy blades from his swords just as fast as he could swing them.

"Um..." Sissi reached out and found that she was able to send a thin beam from her palm, but she had great difficulty aiming it.

The Mantas fired at the Nautilus and hit it a few times, but the attack from the Lyoko Warriors soon destroyed all of them and the Nautilus escaped. "Good job, guys. I'm bringing you back." Jeremie materialized them one by one.

-( ( • ) ) -

In the Scanner Room, Odd came out of the left, Ulrich out of the middle, and Alex from the right Scanner. As they all converged in the middle of the room, William laughed, and Sissi noticed why.

"You're going from scrawniest to buffest!" She covered her mouth with a hand as she secretly stared at Ulrich.

"Hey, I'm not scrawny, I'm svelte!" Odd growled.

"Wow." Yumi couldn't help but stare at Ulrich. Like Odd and Alex, his upgrades had been both physical and mental. He was a little taller, a little more buff. As Sissi was thinking to herself, he was also a lot more hunkalicious. He now wore a brown-green coat that ended just above his knees, faded blue jeans, a black shirt, and gray-brown shoes.

"Look pretty awesome, huh?" Ulrich posed a bit. "How long was I gone?"

"Three days."

"That's it? Felt a lot longer then that." Ulrich smiled at Yumi and she blushed. "How did my clone do?"

"We kept him in line." Yumi finally looked away. "Odd did most of the work."

"I hope he annoyed you as much as your clone annoyed me." Odd laughed loudly at Ulrich's remark.

"I knew how to handle him. I don't know how you had so much trouble." Ulrich frowned at him.

"Well, if I had been upgraded before, then maybe it would have been as easy for me as it was for you." Ulrich looked over at the elevator. "I want to get outside. I've been stuck in small places for way too long." Ulrich walked over to the elevator and got on.

"Wait for us." Odd said. He, Yumi, Sissi, Alex and William got on after Ulrich.

"Well, um, we have the location of another Super Computer." Jeremie looked at the monitor.

"If we fix the Translation program soon, we can start destroying them." Aelita and Jeremie stayed as the others left.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next day, Ulrich was playing foosball against Odd. They were equally matched, but both were shaking the table as they slammed the ball from one side to the other. "Careful, dorks!" Sissi screamed when the ball flew off of the table and at her on the couch, and she barely deflected it with her magazine.

"Don't need to be." Ulrich caught the ball easily after it bounced back. "But you might want to be. Wouldn't want you to damage your pretty face." Ulrich smiled at Sissi, who blushed immediately.

"Um, yeah." Sissi scooted away from the table as Ulrich and Odd continued to play foosball.

-( ( • ) ) -

After playing for nearly an hour and ending it at zero to zero, Ulrich and Odd took a break. Ulrich sat on the couch next to Sissi. "What are we watching?"

"Um, The Old and the Restful." Sissi scooched away from Ulrich.

"Meh, I'd rather go see a movie, want to come?"

"Um, what?"

"Want to go see a movie with me?" Ulrich scooted a little closer and smiled.

"I, uh, sure." Sissi and Ulrich left the rec room.

"What the?" Odd was stunned. "Did Ulrich just ask Sissi out? Dang, he's getting her on a date before I did." Odd approached the couch and sat down, looking for something to watch.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next day, Ulrich sat with Sissi during classes. At lunch, Yumi grabbed a tray and sat down with the others. "Ulrich, um, what's going on?"

"Huh?" Ulrich had some meatballs in his mouth.

"I heard, um, from Nicholas that you and Sissi went to the movies yesterday."

"Yeah, saw Ultraman Forever."

"But, why?"

"Why not?"

"But, you and, um, me."

"Are just really good friends. Sissi wants to be more then friends, so hey, why not?" Ulrich resumed eating as Yumi got up and left the table.

"Man, that's not right." Odd looked over at Ulrich, who seemed unconcerned by what had just happened.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next day, Ulrich and Sissi were in the latter's room, working on homework together. "Wow, Ulrich, those upgrades really improved your smarts!"

"It's not just Jeremie and Aelita that can do physics anymore." Ulrich and Sissi continued working.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi was in her room, crying. She held a picture of her and Ulrich in her hands. "What happened? What did Franz do to you?" Tears fell onto the photo.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next day Ulrich and Sissi were eating lunch together on the other side of the table, chatting away, oblivious to the other Lyoko Warriors. "Look at them." Yumi squeezed her orange, and juice squirted all over her hand. "Like I'd fall for that. I'm not that stupid."

"Fall for what?" William looked over at Ulrich and Sissi, who were unaware they were being talked about.

"He wants me to get jealous. Well, I'm not the jealous type. He can have her." Yumi glanced at William. "Want to go see Ultraman Forever after school?"

"Sure, um, if you want to." William couldn't help but smile.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William went to the movie, where several times Yumi got teared up, but not because of the movie. Ulrich and Sissi went to the gym and trained, and probably kissed a few times, since he'd apparently fallen in love with her after his upgrades. Aelita and Jeremie went to the Factory to work on the Super Computer and try to finish the Translation program, so they could begin work on making a new Super Computer and destroying Xana's Replikas. Alex was out with some friends, a short tan dark-haired girl named Skye and a lanky boy with curly brown hair, Mathieu. Odd...was bored. "What to do?" He walked past the rec room. "Tired of the foosball table and there's nothing good on television. Why can't Xana attack? That's always interesting."

In the Control Room, the Super Scan appeared, eclipsing Jeremie's coding window. "Xana's attacking, dang it." Jeremie had been close to completing the new Translation program. "Aelita, call Yumi. I'll call Odd."

"And the other four?"

"I'll tell Odd to call Ulrich and Sissi, you have Yumi call William and Alex." They made their calls.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi was watching the movie with William when her phone rang. "What is it, Aelita?"

"Xana's attacking. Call William and Alex."

"Okay. William's with me." They hung up and Yumi dialed Alex's number. "Xana is attacking."

"I'll be there." Yumi hung up, and William had obviously heard her tell him. The two got up and left the theater.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich heard his phone ring during a 'sparring' match with Sissi, and went over to his gym bag. "Hey Odd."

"Xana's attacking, you and Sissi get to the Factory."

"We'll be there soon." Ulrich hung up. "Sissi, Xana attack."

"Oh, but um, we were just, stuff. Darn it." Sissi sighed.

"This won't take long, I promise. Here's something to tide you over until we're done." Ulrich kissed her on the cheek, and the two ran out of the gym.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana sent a black mist into the middle Scanner. "Aelita, an error just came up." Jeremie looked at the data. "Xana's sending something through the Scanners." Jeremie could hear the Scanner doors close, then open. Soon a buzzing noise was heard, and a Dark Hornet flew up from the ladder to the Scanner Room.

"Jeremie! Set up the delayed transfer!" Aelita ran for the elevator. The Dark Hornet turned to her and aimed, and fired just as the doors closed.

Jeremie started up the countdown and ran out of the Control Room through the other passage. The Dark Hornet began to pursue him.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William arrived at the Factory first and took the elevator down to the Control Room. "Hello?" Yumi looked around, surprised to see it was empty. Aelita appeared on the monitor in a chat window.

"Yumi, William, hurry and send yourselves to the new Lagoon Sector. Xana sent a Dark Hornet and attacked Jeremie." The screen closed.

"Um, I don't know how to do it." William looked at Yumi, unsure.

"Jeremie showed us how, but I, its complicated. I'll try and send you if you trust me." Yumi offered.

"Of course I trust you." William got on the elevator and took it down.

"Wait!" Aelita appeared in the screen again. "Don't use the middle Scanner. Xana used it to send the Hornet so it's probably all corrupted.

"Oh, okay." Yumi said with a nod.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Dark Hornet shot Jeremie in the back of the knee with a laser. He screamed out and fell forward, his glasses bouncing away. He scrambled for them, but the Dark Hornet fired again, hitting him in the back.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Um, Transfer, Scanner, and, um, virtualization?" Yumi hit the enter key. "William?"

"I'm here, you did it, Yumi." William looked around for Aelita, and saw her come out from behind a damp stalagmite. "Where's the Tower?"

"Near here, east, I think." Aelita watched the pulsations that only she could see. "I didn't have time to look at the Super Scan."

"Yumi, are you coming?"

"I don't know how to do the auto transfer." Yumi heard the elevator run. "Someone else is here." Yumi waited for them.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Dark Hornet hit Jeremie again. He didn't scream or react aside from naturally moving from the force of the laser, like any other object would. The Dark Hornet flew back to the Control Room.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Odd, Alex, um, Jeremie can't send us." Yumi bit her lip.

"I'll do it." Odd looked at the screen. "It's not that hard."

"You're as lost as me." Yumi stared at him.

"I _was_ as lost as you. The upgrades," Odd knocked on the side of his head, "make things easier."

"I wanna try, see how easy it is." Alex chimed in.

"Alright. Your upgrades should make it simple." Odd stepped aside for Alex.

"Geez, you three and your upgrades. Do you ever shut up about them?" Yumi rolled her eyes as she got into the elevator. "Go ahead and send me."

"Alex!" Aelita opened the window and saw him. "Look at the Super Scan and tell me the coordinates."

"Uh, Sector Code 5, Tower Code 9, bearing 51 degrees north, 22 degrees east, 93 elevation."

"Alright, thank you." The screen closed.

"No problem, Aelita." Alex watched through the security camera and saw Yumi get in the rightmost Scanner. "Transfer Yumi, Scanner Yumi, and Virtualization." She landed on Lyoko.

"Do you ladies want the vehicles?" Odd took the headset and asked as Alex took the elevator down to the Scanner Room.

"Hey!" William crossed his arms and pouted.

"Would be helpful." Aelita nodded, and a few seconds later, they appeared.

"Amazing." Yumi and William got on the Overwing. "Before, he could barely send someone."

"The upgrades are amazing, but, um, I still wouldn't do it." William looked around. "No monsters."

"Yet." Yumi took to the air on the Overwing.

"What about you?" Yumi blinked at William's question.

"What about what?" she replied.

"The upgrades. Would you get them?"

"No way I could let a dopey clone near my family."

"Um, what if a clone wasn't needed? I don't know, like if Franz could do it in a day. Would you?"

"I don't know." Yumi and William waited with Aelita for the upgraded trio.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was setting up the delayed transfer when he heard the wings of a Hornet beating. "Xana's pet is coming back."

"Run! Or get to Lyoko, Odd, you can't let it hurt you or Alex." Aelita was almost hysterical. "Please!"

"I can handle a bug. Just give me a bug zapper or a fly swatter." Odd looked around and saw Jeremie's Ghost Buster laying in a corner. "Let's see if this works. Alex, the delayed transfer is set up, go to Lyoko." Odd commanded as he grabbed it. The Hornet burst into the Control Room as Alex got in the middle Scanner, unaware of Aelita's warning to Yumi. As the transfer began, the black mist seeped into the Scanner and surrounded his body.

-( ( • ) ) -

The group on Lyoko waited for Odd and Ulrich as Alex landed. He took a little while to get up; he had landed on his feet but was still hunched over.

"Alex, are you okay?" Aelita walked over to him.

"I'm fine." Alex waited a moment before straightening to a standing position. The Eye of Xana flickered in his eyes for a moment before he turned around, his eyes their normal medium spring green again. As Aelita had been on Lyoko when Xana used a necklace to possess her on Earth, Alex had been possessed through the Scanner, not the Scyphozoa, so his eyes were normal.

"Is Odd alright?" Yumi asked from the Overwing.

"He can handle that Hornet." Alex shrugged, nonplussed.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem a bit detached." Aelita tilted her head.

"I said I'm fine, so I'm fine." Alex growled, his voice dripping venom. Aelita backed away, startled. Alex wasn't normally like this; he was a gentle giant. He looked scary, but he was kindhearted as long as he wasn't angry about something. And if he was angry, he would usually talk about it.

"Come on, Odd, don't do anything stupid." Aelita appeared in a screen in the Control Room, and she saw him running around. The Dark Hornet fired at him. "Odd!"

"Just trying to start this thing." Odd dodged a laser.

"The lever is on the bottom. Pull it back to charge and push it forward to fire." Odd flipped the Ghost Buster over.

"Got it." Odd backed away from the Dark Hornet then aimed the Ghost Buster at it. "Bye bye." He fired it and hit the Dark Hornet. It sparked, then fell to the floor. "That was easy." Odd set the Ghost Buster down and went over to the control panel. "Thanks for the help, Princess."

"Ulrich and Sissi are behind you." Odd turned around and saw the two, Sissi panting heavily.

"I didn't even hear the elevator."

"We took the other way."

"Why?"

"Felt like it. Will you send us?"

"Sure." Odd waited for Ulrich and Sissi to go down to the Scanner Room, and they got into the left and right Scanners, respectively. "Transfer Ulrich, Transfer Sissi. Scanner Ulrich, Scanner Sissi. Virtualization." The two landed near the others. "I'll be…" Odd saw the middle Scanner operate. When the door opened, there was another Dark Hornet. "...there after I take out this Hornet." Odd picked up the Ghost Buster again.

"Odd, I don't think you can use it this soon. It needs to recharge." Aelita warned from her window.

"Oh, well, uh-oh." Odd watched through the security camera, and saw another Dark Hornet come out of the Scanner. "I'm going to run now." Odd ran to the elevator and got on as more Dark Hornets appeared from the middle Scanner.

-( ( • ) ) -

The group on Lyoko got on their vehicles and headed for the activated Tower. Ulrich and Sissi were on the Overbike, Yumi and William on the Overwing, and Alex and Aelita on the Overboard.

"Let's see what I can do against the Dark Angel or Scorpion." Ulrich laughed.

"Even with your upgrades you better be careful." Yumi looked over at Ulrich sorrowfully. She couldn't look away. Even with her being mad at him about Sissi, she still had feelings for him.

"I can handle it." Ulrich ignored Yumi's lonely look.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was trying to leave the Factory when the Dark Hornets cut him off. "Okay, nice bugs." Odd backed away as two waited near the entrance. Another swooped down from the ceiling. "I need a really big fly swatter." Odd turned and ran. The only place to go was the other path to the Control Room.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors came into the Tower's cavity. "Aelita, stay back." Ulrich pulled his sabers out as the Scorpion formed.

"I can fight." Aelita looked around and saw two dark blue Krabs with large, padded front legs and yellow eyes, with a black Eye of Xana on the shell, waiting behind a stalagmite. "Look out!" She created an energy orb. "Energy Field!" The two Dark Krabs emerged from their hiding place and began to fire lasers. Three Insekts swooped down from the top of the cavern and started to fire as well.

"I know you can fight, but I want to see what I can do." Ulrich stood up on the Overbike, letting Sissi take the controls. "Super Sprint!" He ran right off of it and went for the Dark Krabs and Insekts.

"Go!" Yumi threw her fans at the Scorpion. It fired a laser and knocked one out of the air, but the second one slashed it across the shoulder.

"Can't touch this." Ulrich dodged the lasers fired by the Dark Krabs and Insekts, and slashed a Krab across the Eye. In a last-ditch effort, it lunged forward and tried to stab him with its large, padded claws. Ulrich barely dodged in time.

"Ulrich, watch out!" William saw the Dark Angel form behind another stalagmite. His warning came in time and Ulrich dodged the Dark Angel's slash.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Earth, Odd was running through the other path to the Control Room when he saw Jeremie. "Einstein! What happened?"

"Hornets." Jeremie had regained consciousness.

"But, didn't Ulrich and Sissi try to help you?"

"I didn't see them. Why would they have gone this way?"

"Well, Ulrich said they did. Maybe they didn't see you. Sissi was out of breath so Ulrich probably made her sprint all the way to the Control Room, and they probably ran right past you." Odd turned when he heard the Dark Hornets. "Stay down, Einstein. I'll distract them." Odd ran at the Dark Hornets as they came around a corner.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Ulrich was handling the Dark Angel as William and Yumi went after the Dark Krabs, Sissi went after the Insekts and and Aelita and Alex distracted the Scorpion. "Energy Field!" She threw and missed and had to dodge the tail when she flew too close on the Overboard. Yumi let out a war cry as she launched her fans at the Dark Krabes, but they leaned out of the way.

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander and the energy blade radiated out. One Dark Krab lunged away with its large claws, but the other was unable to in time and was destroyed.

"Good job, William." Yumi threw a fan at the last Dark Krab, but missed.

"Haha!" Sissi had used the flight controls on the Overbike and grabbed onto an Insekt, taking it with her as she drove along, and it fired lasers wildly. Her hands glowed brightly and the Insekt was rapidly draining. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

"You can handle the last Krab, Aelita and Alex need help with the Scorpion." William jumped off of the Overwing and landed on the cavern floor below.

A laser from the Dark Hornets hit Odd, but he wouldn't stop running. The three Dark Hornets chased him back into the Control Room, and he hit the button for the elevator, but it was going to have to come down from the Factory floor. He screamed as the Dark Hornets let loose with lasers and acid.

"Odd, I have to save Odd." Aelita created an energy orb. She held it and concentrated, making it larger. "Energy Field!" She threw it at the Scorpion as it fired a laser. Her energy orb slammed into the laser and destroyed it, continuing and hitting the Scorpion.

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander and the energy blade hit the Scorpion across the chest.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw another energy orb and hit the Scorpion again. It roared, then exploded.

"Triangulate!" Ulrich ran around the Dark Angel and struck it from all sides, destroying it.

"Stay still!" Yumi threw her fans at the last Dark Krab, but missed again. "Maybe I should get upgraded." She caught her fans as Ulrich Super Sprinted over to the last Dark Krab and destroyed it effortlessly. Finally, Sissi's Insekt exploded, fully drained. The remaining Insekt fired exploding mines onto Yumi, devirtualizing her. This Insekt was apparently on a roll, as it managed to do the same to William.

"Super Sprint!" Ulrich leapt off of a rock formation and slashed the Insekt, destroying it.

"Alex, are you sure you're okay? You didn't even try to fight. Is everything okay?" Aelita gave him a look of concern as she got off of the Overboard near the Tower.

"I'm fine. At least, I will be, Aelita!" Alex turned to her, the Eye of Xana pulsing and flickering in his own eyes, and his last three words were distorted. Aelita backed away and ran for the Tower, but some kind of Dark Scyphozoa was there, waiting for her in front of the Tower. Its tentacles and 'bubble' were charcoal gray, its brain was a ghostly white, the purple on it was now black, the orange was now a crimson red, and the green parts were now a hazardous orange.

"No!" Aelita backed away and fired an Energy Field, hitting the bulbous transparent mass containing the Dark Scyphozoa's brain. The Dark Scyphozoa was unaffected as it continued floating toward her threateningly.

"It's over!" Alex sneered as the Scyphozoa swept Aelita up in its tentacles and put three to her head. Instead of orange and pink energy holding Aelita in place and flowing through the tentacles, black and gray energy sparked around. It didn't hold her as high in the air as it normally did, allowing Xana in Alex to circle around so he could see her shocked expression. He looked at Aelita as black energy flowed into her and he smiled cruelly, but quickly frowned with a growl when William soared through the air and cut the tentacles, and slashed through Alex on his way down.

"Forget it, Xana."

"Damn!" Alex devirtualized and Aelita ran into the Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

When the elevator doors opened, Odd ran inside, ignoring his wounds. He pushed the button for the doors to close, but one Dark Hornet managed to fly in. "Close quarters. You don't have room to get away." Odd lunged at it and grabbed hold of it. He went to punch it in the Eye, but it sprayed acid into his face and he screamed, dropping the Hornet and falling to a fetal position, clawing at his face to get the acid off.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita floated up to the second platform, and placed her hand on the control panel. "Tower deactivated." The screens fell around her. "Odd? Jeremie?" No response came to calm her worry. "We need a return." She used the control panel to bring it up. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble came up reversing time.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita ran down the stairs to the boy's floor and knocked on the door to Jeremie's room. It swung open, and Aelita flung her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yeah, just a few burns. The Return fixed them." Jeremie hugged Aelita back. "But, um, Odd said Ulrich took the other path to the Control Room."

"Yeah." Aelita nodded.

"I didn't see him."

"Well, um, if the Hornet was attacking you and stuff..."

"He would have helped me. I don't know, maybe something happened. We know the upgrades from Franz affected him."

"You mean going out with Sissi?" Jeremie nodded. "Well, I...maybe. But would Ulrich have changed that much?" There was a knock at the door, and before either could answer, Patrick opened it.

"Um, my homework is in here. Sorry for interrupting you."

"Um, I have to go anyway. Bye, Jeremie." Aelita walked out.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd sat on his bed staring at a picture album. After his close call with the Dark Hornets, he wanted to have some happy memories to replace the horror he just experienced. He looked at the door when a knock filled his ears. "Come in."

"Hi, Odd." Aelita opened the door and looked at the photo album. The picture she first noticed was of the original five Lyoko Warriors. The second one was of her, Odd and Samatha at the skate park. The third was of Aelita playing at the concert, and the fourth was of her and Odd, smiling together. "Are you ok?"

"The return fixed everything." Odd stood up. "You did it, Princess." He smiled.

"I, um, _we_ did it. I would have been doomed without the others. Xana got Alex when he used the middle Scanner. I should have made sure that you guys knew not to use it, and the Scyphozoa almost got me because of it. Who knows what Xana would have done with me."

"You would have figured something out, Princess. You wouldn't let Jeremie down."

"Yeah, Jeremie." Aelita looked away. "Um, I, if you're okay and everything, I'm going to, uh...go do homework."

"Wait." Odd reached for Aelita's wrist. "Princess, I just want to know."

"Um, what?"

"Were you worried more about me or Jeremie?"

"Um, I," Odd kissed Aelita ever so lightly.

"Don't worry, Princess, Aelita." Odd smiled at her.

"Odd, you can't keep doing that!" Aelita backed away from Odd and bit her lip as tears began to well up in her eyes. She turned and ran out of the room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Sissi saw Odd kiss Aelita and went to the stairwell. This was the second time she had seen the two kiss. "I'm friends with Jeremie too. I knew they weren't cousins but they've kissed twice and Aelita's supposed to be with Jeremie. I have to tell him." Sissi began to climb the stairs to the boys' dorm.


	19. Episode 140: Collapse

After hearing about Aelita and Odd from Sissi, Jeremie was ready to quit. He had screwed up his grades and class record. He had screwed up his cousin's life because he was too busy fighting Xana. He had messed up his health and wellbeing. And for what? To have the woman he loved cheat on him? Aelita had tried to tell Jeremie there was nothing with her and Odd. Odd had kissed her, not the other way around, and she told him to stop, and he didn't. But Jeremie wouldn't listen to her. She was angry at Sissi at first, but she came to realize that Sissi did nothing wrong and was trying to keep Jeremie from getting even more hurt when he found out on his own.

Ulrich and Yumi were fighting too. Ulrich and Sissi were now an open couple at Kadic Academy. Milly and Tamiya broke the news in their newspaper. Yumi had tried to ignore it, but every time she saw Ulrich, Sissi was with him, and every time she saw Sissi, Ulrich wasn't far behind. She wasn't as mad at Sissi as she was Ulrich. If she had been crushing on Ulrich the way Sissi had, and just now had the chance, she'd likely take it too, but she was still angry at both.

William and Alex were stuck in the middle. Alex had known them all only since December, and it was April now. He didn't like the fighting, but he simply didn't know enough about the group to really interfere. He had his friends, Skye Jensen and Mathieu Morrison, and they were close. They didn't have much drama since Jake left.

William was more prone to taking sides; he took Aelita's side while still being mad at Odd, since he never did like Odd much. He also obviously felt inclined to take Yumi's side because she went out with him on several dates. It was only as really good friends, but it was great for him to be alone with Yumi without Ulrich around, and that influenced his opinion. He had been wanting this for the longest time; it didn't occur to him that she and William were doing what Ulrich and Sissi were doing.

Xana was making plans. The group was all that stood between him and world domination. If he could destroy them from the inside, his path to victory would be without obstacle.

-( ( • ) ) -

After classes, Ulrich and Sissi went to the rec room. Little did they know, a certain jealous raven-haired Japanese girl had been going there too and noticed them.

"I can't believe him." Yumi clenched her hands into fists as she watched the two holding hands and walking along.

"Um, Yumi?" Yumi turned around to see William. "Are you okay?"

"Want to go do something?" Her smile was crooked and obviously forced.

"Um, we have homework and stuff, but if you want to go do something else, we can."

"Come on." Yumi stormed to the school gates, William in tow.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie worked in the Control Room, alone. Aelita had tried to help, but he refused to be alone with her.

"Translation." Jeremie tapped the Enter key, and a small rat soon appeared in the Control Room. "It works, finally." He saved the changes. "Now, we can finally hunt down and destroy the Super Computers made by Xana." Jeremie glanced at a small window depicting a grid with several red blips. "Ten found so far. Hopefully we won't find any more." He then turned to the column beside the window. "If we destroy that one, we'll be rid of the Scorpion." Jeremie steepled his fingers, wondering which one to destroy first.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was alone at the Hermitage. Jeremie refused to be with her, and she couldn't be around Odd. "What can I do, Daddy?" She held the picture of Franz and her younger self. "I love him, but I...why can't you be here? Why wouldn't you come to Earth? You were able to bring Odd, Alex and Ulrich so why can't you come?" She wiped away a tear.

Jeremie's phone rang and he glanced at the Caller ID before answering. "What do you want, Patrick?"

"Could you help me with the science homework?"

"Could it wait?"

"Jeremie, you know I'm here because of you. You could at least help me with my homework."

"Fine. I'll be there soon." Jeremie put the phone back in his pocket.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jim and Mr. Delmas approached the Hermitage. "There it is." The principal pointed at the old building beyond some brush.

"It's been abandoned for years, Mr. Delmas." Jim walked to the front gate. "I looked up the records, and no one's bought this place."

"Poor place. It used to be impressive back in the day." They walked to the front door.

"What was that?" Aelita heard a noise downstairs. She got off of her old bed and approached her doorway, listening carefully.

"It looks like someone's been here recently." Mr. Delmas picked up a rag.

"Yeah, like someone tried to clean it up." Jim saw the countertop in the kitchen, taking note of the way dust wasn't collected on it.

"What are they doing here?" Aelita slowly and quietly closed the bedroom door and looked for a place to hide.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana activated a Tower in the Forest Sector.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was running through the woods near Kadic Academy when he heard beeping in his backpack. He pulled his laptop out and looked at the Super Scan. "Forest." He pulled his cell phone out and called Ulrich. "Xana's attacking."

"I'll be there." Ulrich went to hang up.

"Bring Sissi." Jeremie began to turn around and go back to the Factory.

"Um, Sissi, that was Jeremie. I think you already know what's up."

"Jeremie?" Patrick came up to Ulrich and Sissi. "Where did he go? He was going to help me with homework but never showed up."

"Um, I can't tell you."

"Then don't tell me. I'll follow you."

"No, it doesn't concern you." Sissi complained.

"Fine." Patrick slinked away.

"We'll be there." Yumi hung up. "William, Xana's attacking."

"Great. Pay thirty Euros for a movie and don't even get to watch it." William and Yumi left the theater at the south end of the mall.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Alright." Alex shoved his phone in his pocket. "Guys, listen, I need to go take care of something."

"Aw, what?" Skye yanked his arm closer, her arms linked with Alex and Mathieu both. She wasn't being flirty of course, just friendly. The Korean girl wore a white spaghetti strap top, purple jeans and bright red shoes.

"Mmm, um, I have to go help Odd get down from a tree. He was climbing and got stuck and he won't come down. Like a cat." Alex smiled awkwardly.

"Oh. Odd's there? Well, I was going to ask if I can come along, but I really don't like him." snarked Mathieu as Skye released her vice-grip on Alex and she strutted into the nearest clothing store she deemed 'cute' with Mathieu in tow.

-( ( • ) ) -

A black mist emerged from an outlet and attacked Jim. "Look at this." Mr. Delmas held up a picture. "It's Franz and who I suppose is his wife." Mr. Delmas went to show Jim when the gym teacher held out his hand and electrocuted the stout principal.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was going through his contact list when he stopped on Aelita. He almost called her, but stopped. "Forget it." He scrolled back up from 'Schaeffer' to 'Ishiyama' and hit the button to call her. "Yumi, call Aelita, alright?"

"Sure." Yumi hung up.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was hiding in her closet when her phone rang. "No, turn off." She rejected the call and turned the device off.

Xana in Jim had heard the cell phone ring and began to climb the stairs.

-( ( • ) ) -

"She's not answering." Yumi looked to William.

"Um, I heard she was going to the Hermitage."

"When?"

"During lunch. Something about finding something." William shrugged his shoulders.

"We need to get her."

"I don't know where the Hermitage is, exactly."

"Then I'll go." Yumi and William ran in different directions.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita heard something smash in the hallway. She hugged her knees, hearing the bedroom door crash open. _I should have opened the window so he'd think I jumped out, or just actually jumped out._

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd saw Ulrich and Sissi running into the woods. "What's up, guys?"

"Xana's attacking."

"No one called me."

"Well, I guess Jeremie didn't want to call you." Sissi said matter-of-factly.

"I can't believe him!"

"We can't believe you either." Ulrich turned and continued running toward the sewer entrance in the woods, and Sissi shrugged and followed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi got to the Hermitage and burst in the front door. A scream floated down the stairs.

"Aelita!" Yumi shot upstairs.

"Help!" Aelita had screamed when Jim broke her closet door open, and crawled between his legs. She shoved the window open and leapt out, but Jim grabbed her ankle, letting her dangle at Xana's mercy.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was dashing through the sewers when he felt and heard a rumble. Soon, there was a loud crashing noise, and when he went around the corner, he saw the sewer passage had caved in.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi tore into Aelita's bedroom. "Xana, you leave Aelita alone!" She hit Jim with a flying kick. The possessed teacher nearly fell out the window, dropping Aelita. The pinkette screeched and barely managed to grab the edge of the roof. "Aelita!" Yumi kicked Jim again, with all her force, and he fell through the window this time. He slid down the roof and hit Aelita, knocking her loose.

"Yumi!" Aelita cried as she fell to the ground below.

"No!" Yumi ran out of the room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd and Ulrich climbed down into the sewers and took off for the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi dashed out of the Hermitage and to Aelita. "Aelita, are you okay?"

"I think so." She was a few feet away from Jim, who she glanced with concern at. "He broke my fall. He's heavier and had more momentum so he fell faster, and I ended up falling on him and bouncing off."

"Let me help you up." Yumi extended her hand, and Aelita took it. Yumi pulled and Aelita was soon on her feet.

"Thanks." Aelita smiled.

"We need to get going." The two rounded the corner and opened the door to the Hermitage's sewer entrance.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was trying to find a way around the collapsed section of sewer. Ulrich, Sissi and Odd sprinted up to him, the principal's daughter panting. "We can't go that way." Jeremie sighed, dashing their hope.

"Why?" Odd skidded to a halt, while Ulrich and Sissi stopped in a less dramatic way.

"Xana destroyed it." Jeremie said the words as if they were as obvious as the sky was blue.

"Einstein, come on. You need to stop acting like this." Jeremie ignored Odd, running past him for a new route. Ulrich and Sissi followed, and Odd slowly came after.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and Aelita were running along the sewers when the others intersected their path.

"What are you guys doing?" Aelita blinked.

"You're going the wrong way." Yumi pointed to the route they would normally take.

"Xana collapsed the sewer back there and we're trying to go around." Ulrich replied, getting no response from Yumi.

"We better be careful. Xana possessed Jim. He's out cold right now, but who knows how long that will last." Aelita warned. They all turned and ran in the direction that the boys plus Sissi were already running.

-( ( • ) ) -

William made it to the Factory by the streets and took the Elevator down. When the doors opened, he saw Alex leaning against the wall. He pushed off and walked to William.

"The others aren't with you?" Alex raised his eyebrows.

"Aelita and Yumi were at the Hermitage. I don't know about the rest." William exited the Elevator and sat against the wall.

-( ( • ) ) -

A rumbling resounded through the sewers.

"He's doing it again!" Jeremie stopped, and the sewers began to collapse.

"Run!" Sissi wailed.

"Watch out!" Yumi saw dirt and who knows what else sprinkling from the ceiling behind them as well. She rammed Aelita away with her shoulder as the sewers separated the group from the pinkette.

"No, are you okay?!" Aelita screamed at the wall of debris and rubble.

"We're trapped but not hurt." Ulrich kicked at the barrier. "I don't think we're getting through."

"Yumi, where're William and Alex?" Sissi turned to the Japanese girl.

"William went to the Factory from the mall. I have no idea where Alex is, probably with his friends, also at the mall."

"So they should be there."

"Hope so, or you'll be alone." Odd kicked at another wall of collapsed sewer. "We have faith in you, Aelita." Odd kicked it again.

"Thank you." Aelita ran off, looking for the nearest exit. She couldn't risk being trapped in the sewers, or the Tower wouldn't get deactivated.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jim came to and sparked with energy, floating to his feet. He ran at superhuman speed to the sewer entrance at the Hermitage and zoomed off to the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita climbed out of a manhole in an alley, looked at the street name, and ran for the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

Sitting in the collapsed section of the sewers, the five stared daggers at one another. Jeremie wanted Odd hurt. Yumi wanted Ulrich and Sissi hurt.

"Stop staring at me." Ulrich growled.

"Like I'd stare at you." Yumi quipped with a roll of her eyes.

"Hey you two, why can't you kiss and make up?" Odd tried to make a joke, but it set both Jeremie and Sissi off.

"Like you and Aelita?!" exclaimed Jeremie.

"You want my boyfriend to kiss another girl?! What a stinky idea!" proclaimed Sissi.

"Hey, it was me kissing her, not the other way around. You should stop being mad at her. And Sissi, I didn't say it was a good idea."

"You shouldn't have kissed her at all, you jerk!" Jeremie got up and threateningly neared Odd, who also stood up and stormed toward Jeremie.

"If you had been at the concert, she would have been so happy, I wouldn't have needed to comfort her." Odd hollered.

"That stupid concert was a waste of time! I was reading what Franz sent and found out Aelita's mother's location and how we can save her!" Jeremie yelled back. "Are you saying Aelita'd rather do a concert with a dead mother than not do one concert out of plenty and have her mother alive?"

"You could have read it the next day. Aelita's music is important to her and it makes her happy. You make her happy sometimes, but you keep messing up. It's not my fault I'm there to make her feel better." Jeremie swung at Odd who dodged the punch easily.

"She released Xana! I wouldn't be messing up at school or with her if she hadn't released him!" Jeremie swung at Odd again, who dodged again. "And I wouldn't care so much if you comforted her if you didn't do it by sucking on her face!" Jeremie picked a rock up and threw it, and hit Odd in the shoulder.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita made it to the Factory and took the elevator down. "William, Alex, we're the only ones who made it."

"But, this is bad." William looked at the screen.

"Neither of us know what that means." Alex explained. "I could probably guess with my upgrades if I knew what number designated what Sector, aside from numbers four and five. Those are Sector 5 and the Lagoon Sector, right? And I don't get what the Tower Code or coordinates correspond to. Like how do I know which Tower would be 5?"

"Right. That's two, so it's the Forest Sector. Zero is Ice, three is Mountain, and one is Desert. There'll be a decimal if there's a Replika, but the numbers are the same, they'll just be point one, point two, you get the idea. That number there designates what Tower, there's ten Towers per Sector so it goes from zero to nine. Those three numbers are the X, Y and Z coordinates. If you watch the Holomap onscreen, it'll have the X, Y and Z coordinates in the bottom right of the window. And Xana puts up barriers around the Tower to keep us from virtualizing directly next to it, so you'll need to calculate that from the numbers in the bottom right of the Super Scan, next to the Tower." Aelita explained.

"Good to know, I guess." William blinked.

"Got it." Alex nodded.

"Right. So, I'll send the vehicles first then us." Aelita typed on the control panel and sent the vehicles. "Get on the elevator." William and Alex stepped on, and soon Aelita followed after bringing up their ID Cards in small windows and a delayed transfer countdown.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd had Jeremie pinned to the ground. "Jeremie, you idiot!" Odd struggled to keep him down as he thrashed. "She loves you still, as to why, I don't know, with the way you mess up with her."

"Shut up, Odd!" Jeremie swung a leg up and managed to get Odd off. "She's my girlfriend and you keep trying to take her from me."

"And I failed, didn't I? You're right, when you hurt her I was there to make her feel better. But you know what? She still goes back to you because she still loves you. I asked her after an attack who she was worried more about getting hurt, and she said you." Odd backed away from Jeremie.

"I, stay away from her. Stop kissing her like that. Sissi told me about how she told you to stop and you didn't. You know that can get you arrested?" Jeremie threatened.

"Whoa, hey, hold on, I'm trying to remain neutral here." Sissi held her hands up defensively. Fortunately for her, she went ignored.

"Then treat her better. I wouldn't have to hug her and kiss her if you didn't hurt her like you have."

"I'm sorry if having a super powerful being trying to kill me keeps me from taking her on dates. And that still doesn't give you an excuse to go kiss her. You shouldn't kiss every girl who gets sad just because you're a player like that." The sarcasm and resentment dripped from Jeremie's mouth.

"At least it makes sense." Yumi interrupted the two's argument.

"What makes sense?" Jeremie turned to her.

"Aelita going for Odd _and _you." Yumi glanced at Ulrich.

"And what? Sissi and me _don't_ make sense?" Ulrich blurted.

"Why not?" Sissi wore a look of legitimate concern. She'd really changed since making good, healthy friendships.

"She likes me as more than just really good friends. We have fun and by getting together we learned we have a lot of things in common, but enough differences to keep us from going insane." Ulrich defended.

"But, you, I was just..." Yumi was stuck. She knew that from the way Ulrich put it, she had no reason to be jealous, but he had to know how she really felt, didn't he? Then again, she knew better than to try to split Ulrich and Sissi up out of jealousy.

"Man, she was trying to get you to confess your feelings." Ulrich and Sissi turned and stared daggers at Odd. "But you're almost as bad as Einstein when it comes to girls." Odd then smiled at Yumi. "But you're not innocent either."

"Shut up, Odd." All of the trapped Warriors, minus Odd, growled simultaneously.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita, Alex and William were on Lyoko, headed for the activated Tower. "Aelita, I don't want you to get hurt but we're really going to need help." William called from the Overwing.

"I know. Xana might win this time." Aelita worried on the Overboard.

"Just stay back. Your Rosetta attack is hard to dodge and you have your Super Smoke." Alex suggested from the Overbike. "My Electrokinesis, Lightspeed and pistols should give us enough ranged coverage."

"Good idea." William prepared his Rosetta as Alex's hands began to spark and Aelita created an Energy Field.

The trapped five were yelling at each other. "What makes you think you're all that, Odd?!" Ulrich pushed Odd.

"What makes you think I'm not?" Odd's goofy smile was knocked off when Ulrich tried to kick it off.

"You're nothing without those upgrades." Jeremie clenched his hands into fists, but didn't try to hit Odd again. He was too slow to hit him.

"Aelita liked me before the upgrades, if you remember, Einstein. But she still went to you even after you said you wished she was dead."

"And she did not like you that way before the upgrades, you just liked her. You kept flirting with her and now with your upgrades, she literally can't resist because of that stupid charm Franz gave all three of you! And when I said that, I didn't say I wished she was dead. I said I wished I never found the Super Computer. I, it, I was upset and frustrated. "

"And she was upset too." Odd backed into the wall. "But that doesn't mean I'm innocent right? I shouldn't have tried anything with her, but man Einstein when she was crying, helpless, I would have done anything for her." Odd sighed. "You know that feeling don't you?"

"I, shut up, Odd." Jeremie growled, ready to swing now that Odd was cornered.

"Stop it!" Yumi yelled at Ulrich, who was just as ready to hit Odd.

"You're an idiot! And you're an idiot! You're all idiots!" Sissi let out a frustrated scream.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita, Alex and William got to the activated Tower.

"He must be using another Super Computer." Aelita sighed. In front of the activated Tower was a swarm of new monsters. They resembled white orbs with a small stinger in front of a skinny stalk. The Eye of Xana was imprinted on the white orbs.

"At least I can knock them out fast." William aimed his Zweihander. The three creatures saw the three and began to attack. They bent backwards and their heads glowed bright orange, then they flicked their bodies forward and sent the orb flying.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb but missed when they scattered.

"They're fast." Alex tried to shoot a few, but only hit one.

"Rosetta!" William swung the Zweihander, and the crescent of energy destroyed a few of the monsters, but most of them scattered away.

"Energy Field!" Aelita aimed for a cluster of them and fired, destroying a few. "If we do that a few more times, we'll make it."

"Just two more times and I'll be down to ten Life Points." William charged up again.

"We should call them Mites. They're annoying like insects, but fun to hunt and kill." Alex cackled as managed to destroy a few as they fled, firing energy balls all the way.

"Aim to the left of the second clump of Mites." Aelita ordered William as she charged an energy orb. "Energy Field!" She launched it a bit right of the group, and it jumped left, where it was decimated by a Rosetta.

"Good job. Just a few more to go." William charged his Zweihander up again when two of the Mites flung themselves at him and exploded. "Gah! What are these, suicide bombers?"

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and the others remained silent. After the blow up of emotions they were worn out and went back to glaring at each other, but Xana wasn't going to leave them alone.

Jim shifted through the wall of rubble with Xana's powers. "Whoa, Jim." Ulrich got up and took a shuto uke stance.

"Let's see what we can do." Odd held his fists in front of his face.

"Take this!" Yumi tried to give Jim a flying kick like she had earlier, but he battered her away with a wave of his hand.

"Go away!" Sissi shrieked and kicked at Jim under the chin, but she too was flung away like a rag doll.

"Yumi, Sissi, you're weak. Stay back." Ulrich lunged Jim and got a punch in, and ducked under a punch from Jim. Odd ran and slid on the ground, swinging his leg up and getting Jim in the knee. Ulrich kicked Jim in the chest, hard, knocking him over. Odd got up and jumped on Jim, and Ulrich followed. Sissi kicked at his side but jumped away with a shriek when Jim swung a meaty arm at her.

"Odd, get his legs. Ulrich, get his arms." Yumi ordered.

"Got it." Odd barked. He hugged Jim's legs as Ulrich pinned his arms. Sissi and Yumi, of their own free volition, sat on Jim's stomach.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, the three were in trouble. William's energy blade had missed and now he didn't have enough Life Points to use another, and Alex was out of bullets and had nobody at the control panel to reload him. He also had used all of his Skill Points on Electrokinesis, which, like if Odd had used his Shield too much or Ulrich had Triplicated, kept him from using it again for a while.

"Aelita, if I kamikaze, you might be able to get into the Tower." William theorized.

"Kamikaze? Are you sure Yumi would like you using that word?" Aelita raised an eyebrow.

"Why not just wait for my Electrokinesis to recharge so I could knock a few out, and then Aelita could run for it?" Alex reasoned.

"Could you make it or not?" William snapped.

"I might." Aelita shrugged.

"Then here goes." William accelerated the Overwing and charged at the Mites. They fired their energy orbs, and William blocked them with his Zweihander. When he got closer, a few of the Mites flung themselves at him and knocked him off of the vehicle. They all self-destructed, and he devirtualized.

"Now!" Aelita sprung off of the Overboard. It crashed into the group of the Mites as she passed her hand over her watch. Her wings appeared and she flew to the activated Tower. "No!" An energy orb impacted her back and she fell short. She looked back and saw that a few of the Mites had managed jump away, and weren't destroyed. "Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb and missed.

"I've had enough of you!" Alex held his pistols awkwardly in one hand and ran at the Mites. Electricity crackled between them and a magnetic pull connected them. From the barrel, a brilliant viridian cord of pure plasma sprung forth, ending in a shining tip that looked as though it'd be spiked were it solid. Alex gasped in awe and quickly swung this new whip at the Mites, spinning and twirling it to get them all.

"Thanks, Alex." Aelita, relieved, smiled at him, then turned and ran into the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd, Yumi, Sissi and Ulrich all screamed as electricity pulsed through Jim and into them. He got up and pointed his arm at Odd, his palm sparking with blue electricity.

"Stop!" Jeremie tackled Jim, who effortlessly threw him off and turned the electricity on him.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita. "The sewers! We need a return." She used the control panel to launch a Return to the Past.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie knocked on the door to Aelita's dorm. "Aelita?"

"Jeremie?" Aelita opened the door and was immediately hugged.

"I'm sorry, Aelita." Jeremie pulled away. "I'm sorry I've been acting like I have, but I have to work. I have to beat Xana. I have to find a way to save Franz."

"No you don't, Jeremie." Aelita hugged him back. "We have to work. We have to beat Xana. We have to save my father."

"And mother." Jeremie smiled. "I worked on the Translation program. We can start hunting down the Super Computers. And maybe with some calculations, find a way to send you and the others to the place Franz says your mother is."

"Really? But, how, how would we get her out?"

"I haven't worked that out yet. Let's just take things one at a time."

"One at a time." Aelita kissed Jeremie with a blush.

_**A/N: **Odd got Laser Claws, Ulrich got Crescents and now Alex has that Plasma Whip! The drama seems to be over... but who's that Jake from the start of the chapter?_


	20. Episode 141: Blockade

Things were better in the group. Aelita and Jeremie had been working hard, and were ready to destroy Super Computers. Odd had been avoiding Aelita, and trying to help Ulrich and Yumi.

"So, Sissi, the new Jessica Blue movie came out. Want to go?" Odd smiled goofily.

"Odd, you know Ulrich and I are together." Sissi shook her head.

"So? It doesn't mean you're exclusive." Odd reasoned.

"You know that kind of logic is what's causing the drama with Jeremie and Aelita."

"Maybe, but hey, he might not want to go to the movie. I know he doesn't like those kind."

"And you do?" Sissi raised an eyebrow, remembering his movie he made of her about her being Godzilla.

"Hey, a guy needs a break from horror and action. Guy meets girl, falls in love, it's what we're all looking for, right?" Odd scooted a bit closer to Sissi.

"Odd!" The Italian boy snapped away from Sissi as Ulrich stormed over. "What are you doing?!"

"Just asking my friend if they want to go see the new Jessica Blue movie." Odd backed away as Ulrich got closer, knowing he screwed up.

"Well, I already have the tickets and was looking for my girlfriend since she didn't answer her phone." Ulrich stood protectively by Sissi.

"Oh, I put it on the charger, sorry." Sissi took Ulrich's hand in hers. "But if you want to go now, we can."

"It's the seven o'clock showing, so we have time for homework, and stuff." Ulrich smiled at Sissi, making her flush with emotion.

"Have fun, you two." Odd strolled away as Ulrich glared.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie clicked around on a screen with Aelita by his side in the Control Room. He had a wireframe of the Skidbladnir in one window, and the coordinates of one of the Super Computers made by Xana.

"We aren't sure what this one does, but that means we need to destroy it more than the ones we do know about." Jeremie explained.

"Are we ready to go now?" Aelita studied the screen.

"Almost. Let's just make sure with a couple more test runs."

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich and Sissi were in the theater, watching the movie. "Ulrich, um, you'll probably think I'm crazy but, um, can I tell you something?"

"Sure, what is it, Sissi?"

"I'm scared."

"What? Why?"

"Xana. Seriously. Sometimes, like, it's like I see the attacks that go on, and I wonder, what if I'm the one who gets targeted next time? What if I die?"

"Sissi, that's a perfectly reasonable fear." Ulrich assured her; he could relate. "But that's why we have to fight. To make sure he doesn't win and take over the rest of the world."

"I just feel like a coward, you know?"

"Sissi, I'm not going to call you a coward, but the others might. You should probably keep it to yourself. Just remember that being scared is normal, but the fact that you keep fighting Xana anyway is why you're no coward."

"Thanks, Ulrich." Sissi grinned and turned back to the movie.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie ran the last test. Eight wireframes of various shape and color, each in the shape of a Lyoko Warrior with their respective colors. Jeremie's was blue, Aelita's was pink, Yumi's was red, Ulrich's was yellow, Odd's was purple, Alex's was green, William's was cyan and Sissi's was white. He tapped a key and every wireframe began to form into realistic versions of the Lyoko Warriors, however Alex's, William's, Sissi's and his own all were replaced by question marks, indicating they had never been translated, but probably could be without any issue.

"We're ready. Let's call the others. Aelita, be sure to make sure that Alex's Nav Skid doesn't have that smelling thing any more and the new one for Sissi is fully operational." Jeremie got his cell phone out and began dialing as Aelita took his place and checked the Nav Skids.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich felt his phone vibrate and took it out. He began to whisper in a hushed voice, "What? Is Xana attacking?"

"No. We finished the Translation program and we're going to destroy a Super Computer." Ulrich sighed.

"I'm on a date with Sissi."

"You know what is more important. See you two soon." Jeremie scolded. Ulrich hung up and tapped Sissi's shoulder, and whispered the news in her ear.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors were all on their way to the Factory. William and Yumi were together, coming from the gym. William was trying to learn Pencak Silat so he could be a better warrior.

Odd was coming from the skate park. With his upgrades he could beat any one at anything. Grinding, flips, spins, he had mastered them all. Nobody could hold a candle to him, except maybe Sam. But she wasn't there, so there was no way to find out. He dialed Samantha's number as he ran to the sewer entrance.

"Hey, Sam."

"Hey. What's up?"

"I was wondering, when are you coming to town again?"

"I don't know, maybe before the end of the school year?"

"Sweet! I wanna see if you can do better than me at skating." Odd laughed as he ran.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex was in the weight room when he got the call. With his upgrades, he could lift more and pedal faster on the exercise bikes than anyone else. It wasn't all about being the best; he mostly just wanted to keep the build he had, and not lose his muscle and end up obese in the future. That wasn't his style; his style was keeping in shape and having lots of muscle. As he pulled his green jacket around his shoulders and left the weight room, Skye came up to him.

"Hey, I was wondering if we could-"

"Sorry, Skye, not now. I'll make it up to you and Mat later." Alex panted as he ran off. She looked at him as he left, obviously annoyed. _Odd ran off all the time too, and he ended up cheating on that one girl with his own cousin. What a freak. _She shook her head and walked away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich and Sissi went the normal route of the elevator to the Control Room this time. "You know, Xana is getting in the way of me and Sissi's relationship." Ulrich complained when the doors opened.

"If you weren't dating that wouldn't be a problem." Aelita chirped. Ulrich and Sissi stared daggers at her.

"Pot calling the kettle black." Ulrich growled.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex arrived next and went straight to the Scanner Room.

"We aren't ready to virtualize just yet." Aelita's voice floated through the speakers.

"Alright." Alex climbed up the ladder and waited in the Control Room as William and Yumi arrived.

"Why are you so sweaty?" Sissi wrinkled her nose.

"I was working out." Alex said matter-of-factly. He recieved several strange looks. "What? I have to stay in shape somehow."

"Well, can't you just walk on the treadmill a few times a week and not eat foods that are bad for you?" Sissi reasoned, getting strange looks as well. "What? Why are you looking at me that way? It's what I do."

"Yeah, but then I'd just be scrawny like Odd. And he's a twig. He can barely lift his own dog."

"You guys are weird." William stated flatly.

"You just noticed?" Yumi looked at him with fake surprise.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd made it and took the elevator to the Control Room.

"So we're going to destroy a Super Computer?" Yumi crossed her arms and leaned back.

"We're going to try. We don't know what kind of defenses Xana will have. But the plan is to destroy a Super Computer." Jeremie explained as he pulled up the transfer bar and ID Card selector. "And if this works, I'll be able to send you right into the Skid Hangar."

"So who gets to go and destroy the Super Computer?" Odd piped up.

"I'm thinking you and Yumi. Aelita will be needed in case Xana activates a Tower and Ulrich will be able to handle any monster sent." Jeremie planned.

"And William, Sissi and Alex?" Odd looked at the three as he said their names.

"They've never been to Earth through Translation, so I don't want to risk it quite yet."

"Well I'm ready." Odd held his hand over the button to take the elevator down.

"This should be interesting." William sighed as he got on, followed by the other five.

They took the elevator down to the Scanner Room. "Transfer Aelita, Transfer Yumi, Transfer William. Scanner Aelita, Scanner Yumi, Scanner William. And...virtualization." They landed right in the Hangar where the Skidbladnir was. "Did it work?"

"Yes, Jeremie." Aelita smiled warmly, though he couldn't see. "You did it."

"I'm going to send the rest of you in groups of two. Transfer Odd, Transfer Ulrich. Scanner Odd, Scanner Ulrich. Virtualization." Ulrich and Odd landed near the others. "Transfer Alex, Transfer Sissi. Scanner Alex, Scanner Sissi. Virtualization." Alex and Sissi soon landed, and Sissi landed on her feet for the first time.

"We're all here, Jeremie." Yumi looked upward.

"Get on the platforms. Alex, you get the leftmost platform closest to the Skid, Sissi, you get rightmost. The rest of you can have your usual platforms." They soon appeared in the Nav Skids, with Aelita in the main chassis.

"Oooh, my little pod has white lining around the glass." Sissi cooed.

"Mine has green." Alex said with a grin.

"They aren't 'pods', they're Nav Skids, and Sissi, you're going to need to get used to the controls." Jeremie chided.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita piloted the Skidbladnir out of Sector 5 and soon dropped into the Digital Sea. "We're ready, Jeremie."

"When you exit Lyoko, take the server at ninety two degrees west and fourteen degrees north." Jeremie waited for a response.

"Uh-oh!" The second the Skidbladnir exited Lyoko, strange Kongres and Sharks with darker coloring fell upon them. "Jeremie, Xana was waiting for us with some upgraded pets!" Aelita cried as she released the Nav Skids.

"Watch out!" Ulrich fired a torpedo, and it hit a torpedo fired by a Dark Shark. "They're everywhere!"

"There's too many of them!" William fired a torpedo but missed.

"We've got to get out of here!" Alex shouted to the others as a Dark Kongre fired lasers at him and he dodged.

"Help!" Sissi tried to steer out of the path of a torpedo, narrowly missing it.

"Stay calm!" Yumi ordered as she fired a torpedo and destroyed a Dark Kongre.

"Jeremie, what do we do?!" Aelita tried to fly away but a Dark Kongre blocked her path.

"Try to get away!" Jeremie pulled up the Super Scan and the power grid of the Super Computer. "Maybe I can activate a Tower and use it to power your shields." Jeremie worked as the Lyoko Warriors fought.

"No!" Sissi screamed as her Nav Skid shook violently. "I'm hit!"

"You're not hit!" Ulrich saw a differently colored Kalamar on the belly of Sissi's Nav Skid. "Stay still!" Ulrich fired a torpedo and missed as the Dark Kalamar dragged her to the side to dodge.

-( ( • ) ) -

In the Super Scan, a Tower came up, glowing green. Jeremie had activated it. "Come on, shields. Aelita, are your shields getting the extra power?"

"No!" Aelita wailed as another Dark Kalamar appeared. It landed on the Skidbladnir and started to drill into it. "We can't fight them! There's too many!"

"Get back to Lyoko!" Jeremie heard a beep and looked at the monitor. "No, no!" Jeremie saw that Xana was trying to take the Tower he just activated. "Get back to Lyoko and get out of the Skidbladnir!" Jeremie fought Xana's attempt, but knew it was only a matter of time.

"Help!" Sissi's Nav Skid rumbled again. "I can't move!" She pushed on the lever, but the Nav Skid stayed still.

"Sissi!" Ulrich dove towards her, seeing the Dark Kalamar on the bottom. Not trusting his aim with a torpedo, he pulled up and crashed into the Dark Kalamar, knocking it off of Sissi's Nav Skid.

"Watch out!" Odd fired a torpedo and hit the Dark Kalamar on the main Skid. It wasn't destroyed, but swam away instead.

"What do we do?" Alex saw Sissi start to float away.

"I have an idea." William swam up to Sissi and gently rammed into her. He knocked into her again, moving her towards the entrance to Lyoko.

"Good idea." Yumi pulled up alongside him and pushed her again.

"Keep them off of Sissi." Jeremie unlocked the entrance to Lyoko so the Warriors could get in.

"Jeremie, can the Nav Skids handle being in the Digital Sea without being attached to the Skid?" Aelita swam around, trying to shake off two Dark Kongres.

"We never tried it, but they should be safe without the Skid's shields. The Digital Sea is basically what you're in now, so I wouldn't see why it wouldn't, but if anything happens, I don't know what to do." Jeremie crossed his fingers for good luck.

"Guys, help me." William and Yumi kept pushing Sissi's Nav Skid along, but a Dark Kalamar approached, ready to attack.

"Time for a fish fry." Odd fired torpedoes at the Kalamar.

"I'm not really into calamari." Alex mock-complained as he unleashed a torpedo of his own as Aelita, Ulrich, William and Yumi slammed into Sissi, knocking her into the Lyoko entrance. Aelita swam in after her, and the remaining Warriors slowly filed in.

Aelita flew near Sissi, trying to attach her to the Skid. "Guys, keep her from moving." Sissi was floating away and slowly spinning, making it impossible for Aelita to attach her.

"Okay." Ulrich flew in front of Sissi and she hit him. Odd came up from below and stopped her from spinning. Aelita flew next to Yumi and felt the thump of the Nav Skid connecting to the Skidbladnir.

"Guys, we're not out of the fire yet. Xana's taken the Tower." Jeremie leaned back in the chair as Xana took over.

"Where is it?" Aelita waited for the others to attach to the Skidbladnir.

"Mountain Sector."

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita flew out of the Digital Sea and steered towards the Mountain Sector, noticing three unfamiliar masses in the process of being created; one green, one gray and one red. They were in the spaces between the existing Sectors, plus the Lagoon Sector, which was between the Desert and Forest Sectors. Aelita noted the fact that the Lagoon Sector was brown, like the inside, and was composed of several disfigured geometric shapes of varying sizes with passages winding through and around them.

"Jeremie, it looks like Xana wants to make new Sectors."

"Doesn't surprise me. More Sectors means more Towers. Be careful."

As Aelita hovered over the Mountain Sector, Jeremie saw monsters appear on the screen. "Be careful. Xana's sending some new Mantas."

"How are the shields?" Aelita looked around, unable to see the Mantas. "Will they hold?"

"They're regenerating. Almost eighty percent right now." Jeremie watched the screen as the Mantas got closer.

"There they are!" Sissi saw them coming from behind.

"They're black instead of blue." Yumi noted.

"Like my personal upgraded Manta when I was Xanafied. Guess it was the first of many upgraded monsters to fight upgraded Lyoko Warriors." William watched them flying closer to the Skid.

"Can we fight them in the Nav Skids?" Alex gripped the controls.

"They can't fly like the Skid can. Aelita, set it down and I'll Energize them onto the Sector." Jeremie ordered, bringing up the Energization program.

"Trying. The Mountain Sector wasn't made for this." Aelita grunted as she maneuvered the Skid between several large rocks and cliffs. She saw a larger platform with a Tower on it. "I'm going to set down over there."

"Okay, loading, one second." Jeremie hit the enter key and the Lyoko Warriors, minus Aelita, formed on the platform. "Aelita, get the Skid to the Hangar. I'm sending the other vehicles, they'll cover you guys. Get ready for a surprise."

"Ready and waiting." Ulrich unsheathed his sabers. The vehicles began to form, one at a time. The Overbike was first, and he got on it with Sissi.

"Leave the Princess alone, fish faces!" Odd jumped on the Overboard and took off, firing Laser Arrows at the Dark Mantas.

"Let's go." William got on the Overwing and waited for Yumi to follow.

"Sissi, are you okay?" Ulrich glanced back at her.

"I, it..." Sissi shuddered. She knew she had been closer to death than any other time, and it was just what she had feared and what she had confided in Ulrich at the theater earlier that day. The Dark Kalamar had almost killed her.

"I'll keep you safe." Ulrich growled protectively.

"Come on, Yumi." William flew over to Yumi and extended his hand to her. "I'll protect you too." Yumi knocked his hand away.

"I don't need you to protect me." Yumi got on the back of the Overwing and they took off.

"Um, Jeremie, Odd left before I could get on. I need a vehicle, I can't use Lightspeed for that long without devirtualizing myself." Alex looked at the sky.

"I said a surprise was coming, didn't I?" Jeremie pulled up a seperate vehicle window, and something new began to form both in the window and on Lyoko.

"What's that?" Alex approached the blue wireframe and waited for it to completely materialize. It was a sleek two-wheeled vehicle with a long body and intricate black and transparent designs, and a seat that appeared to be quite comfortable. There were niches along the back to put the rider's legs in, and handlebars on the front that the rider would reach past the windshield to hold, with buttons the side of either handlebar. One to activate flight controls, and one to engage the vehicle. The windshield was popped up like the hood on a car and locked in that position for some reason. Several fins and pieces of armoring decorated it and seemed to give it a bit more combat effectiveness. It seemed to require the rider to sit in a laying position, unless there were two riders in which case the pilot would have to ride in a half-lay half-sit position.

"Do you like it? I started working on it when you joined the group. It wasn't a huge priority since there were still enough vehicles, but when Sissi joined I worked overtime to get it done. I call it the Overcycle."

"It's beautiful." When Alex stepped on and pressed the button on the left handlebar, the windshield went from its disengaged position to lower over his head and fit seamlessly with the front of the two-wheeled bike. A green and black helmet matching his clothes formed from a wireframe out of thin air, steel plates activated and locked his legs in the leg slots, and green energy flowed in the transparent parts, giving it a glowy look. "With these colors, I'm inclined to think you made it just for me."

"Oh, no, the colors of whoever rides it will be there. The black is there to make it look sleek." Jeremie explained. "There can be two riders, too, if you didn't notice the second and third set of leg slots under the seat so you and the passenger can sit motorcycle-style. Then the helmets will have their own colors, and the plasma on the Overcycle itself will be mixed colors. I plan on giving the other three vehicles a similar makeover."

"I love this one. It's mine. Nobody can touch it without permission." Alex joked as he revved the engine, making the Overcycle purr.

"You sound like Odd." Jeremie laughed as Alex took off after the others, leaving behind a green trail that dissipated a few meters behind him.

-( ( • ) ) -

"I bet I can destroy more Dark Mantas than you can, Odd." Ulrich charged his swords. "Watch."

"I can beat you any day." Odd aimed at a Dark Manta and fired a Laser Arrow. Ulrich leapt off of the Overbike, letting Sissi take over, and landed on the Dark Manta that Odd fired at. He blocked the Laser Arrow, then destroyed the Dark Manta himself. He sprung off of it and landed on another, destroying it as well.

"Hey, jerk, you're cheating." Odd fired at a Dark Manta that was too far for Ulrich to block, and destroyed it.

"You're just slow." Ulrich went for a Dark Manta, but a small bullet-like capsule impacted it and destroyed it before he could. Ulrich landed on a cliff face and used Super Sprint to spring off of it and back to the main path.

"What was that?" Odd looked around and saw Alex on the Overcycle. "Aw, what? When did you get that sweet bike? I want a ride!"

"Ha, suck it!" Alex laughed from under the virtual helmet, his longcoat billowing behind him, as he drove with one hand and fired with another. "Why are you guys going so slow? These vehicles are pretty much the same speed and I'm already caught up."

"To have fun." Odd laughed as he sped up the Overboard.

"Well, I guess since none of us can deactivate Towers..." Alex reasoned as he aimed at a Dark Manta flying overhead. "We can enjoy killing off these Mantas while we wait for Aelita."

"Dorks." Yumi rolled her eyes as she flung a fan at a Dark Manta and sliced the Eye, destroying it.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita piloted the Skidbladnir into Sector 5. "Jeremie, I'm going to the Arena. Be ready with the Transporter." Aelita Energized herself out of the Skidbladnir and took the Elevator down, and was greeted by reddish Creepers. "Oh, look, more Dark monsters. Xana's definitely been upgrading his pets to fight our upgraded Warriors. It's kind of getting old. We eventually should just start calling them by their old names instead of this Dark nonsense" Aelita sighed to Jeremie, who remained silent, as she destroyed one with an Energy Field.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd, Alex and Ulrich had destroyed all of the Dark Mantas, and Sissi had gone around healing the injured Warriors. "With the four of us, who needs Yumi and William?" Ulrich joked, back on the Overbike.

"Hey, William can hold his own and Yumi can whoop Xana. And hey, it's nice having a third cute girl with us." Odd laughed as Yumi overheard and glared at him. "Come on, Yumi, it was a joke."

"So she's not cute?" William's comment earned him an elbow to the ribs from Yumi. "I didn't mean it like that."

"If you guys can stay focused, we need to deactivate the Tower." Jeremie scolded, waiting for Aelita to arrive in the Arena so he could send the Transporter.

-( ( • ) ) -

The other Lyoko Warriors caught sight of the Transporter and steered over to it. "Princess!" Odd flew down and stopped. "Need a ride?"

"Of course, Odd." Aelita walked over to the Overboard, but caught sight of the Overcycle. "Whoa, Jeremie, is that the new vehicle?"

"Yeah, what do you think?"

"It's very...green." Aelita wrinkled her nose.

"That changes depending on who's riding."

"Wanna give it a try?" Alex pressed the button on the left handlebar with his thumb, disengaging the helmet, leg supports and glowing, and putting the windshield in its raised position. He shifted himself to a sitting position.

"Sure." Aelita jogged over and swung a leg over, and Alex pressed the button again. The leg slots closed with steel and the windshield lowered. Alex's green and black helmet formed, as did Aelita's new pink and black, and green and pink energy flowed through the transparent parts, bouncing off of each other like a lava lamp.

"You comfortable?" Alex asked.

"Yeah." Aelita smiled under the pink-tinted visor of her helmet. "Jeremie, where's the activated Tower?"

"Go east. You're not too far." Jeremie watched the green blips and Aelita's yellow take off.

-( ( • ) ) -

Monsters virtualized at the activated Tower. The Dark Angel and two faded teal Megatanks with an extra band around their equator, with Eyes of Xana along the band. Of course, the true one on the inside was its only weak spot.

The Lyoko Warriors soon approached the Tower. "This should be easy. I'll take the Dark Angel. Odd, you take a Dark Megatank while the Alex takes the other Dark Megatank. The others can help." Ulrich leapt off of the Overbike, leaving Sissi, and landed gracefully in front of the Dark Angel.

"Ulrich Stern, you will find this battle will be much harder than it looks." The Dark Angel swung a claw at him.

"You'll be gone in under two minutes." Ulrich attacked the Dark Angel with his swords.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at a Dark Megatank's fake Eyes. He hit one, but did no damage. It opened and fired a horizontal blast. Everyone pulled into the air in time except Sissi, who didn't know about the flight controls. The Overbike was destroyed and she skidded across the ground.

"What the heck..." she grumbled as she came to her feet and watched the Lyoko Warriors in the air. "I can't fly, you know!" Sissi cried as the Dark Megatank charged another blast.

"Electrokinesis!" Alex launched green lightning at the Dark Megatank, but it closed before he did damage. "Damn!"

"Help!" Sissi wailed.

"Try saying words that mean fly or go up. It might work, could be one of your powers. There's soar, glide, ascend, elevate, escalate..." Jeremie suggested.

"Um...Fly, up, soar, glide, lift, raise, ascend, elevate..." Sissi began to float into the air and glow white with Ascend but didn't notice. "Rise, escalate, hover, hey! I'm flying!"

"You've been flying since you said Ascend!" William yelled as he charged his Zweihander.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the other Dark Megatank. It rolled forward and she missed. It opened up and charged a blast.

"Gotcha!" Yumi threw her fans and hit the real Eye, destroying it.

"I'm sick of the whole 'Dark' naming thing. Let's call this an Ubertank. I mean, what's next? Dark Dark Angel?" Odd declared.

"Ubertank?" Alex scoffed, incredulous.

"Yeah! It's perfect."

"It's been one minute." The Dark Angel taunted Ulrich. "Xana's next creation will destroy you." The Mountain Sector rumbled.

"Signals, from a Super Computer." Jeremie began to trace the signal.

"What was that?" Sissi could feel something in the air.

"Uh, Yumi, what's that?" William pointed at something.

"I don't know. Jeremie, there's something weird on Lyoko." Yumi watched as whatever it was began to take shape.

"Um, I'd avoid it for now, until we figure out what it does." Jeremie continued following the signal. A hissing sound slowly began above him. "What's that noise?" He looked around, but saw nothing. "Gotta keep working."

"We don't have time to find out what it does." Yumi and William dove on the Overwing at the new monster. When they got closer, they could make out what it was. "It looks like a mini Kolossus but weirder." Yumi held her fans, ready to fight.

"You're right, I think. I only have vague memories of the Kolossus. But I don't think it looked like this." William circled around the monster, taking it in as it slowly formed from a red wireframe.

"No, it didn't." Yumi looked for the Eye.

The new monster was tall, about the size of an Ubertank and a half. Its bulk was supported by two large tree-like front legs and a thinner tail in the back for balance. There was an Eye, but no Eye on the left arm, or in this case, leg, like the Kolossus. The Eye it did have was white on a black, rock-like head with lava flowing through the cracks above a red laser port. The back of the stony body glowed red like a volcano.

"Rosetta!" William slashed his Zweihander, launching an energy blade at it. He hit it across the legs, but did little damage.

"Stay still!" Yumi spun her fans like frisbees, but the monster batted them away with a leg.

"This is bad!" William stared at the monster, unsure if he could hit the Eye while on the Overwing.

"Two minutes." The Dark Angel fired a laser and hit Ulrich in the chest. "Not as strong as you thought?"

"I'm probably stronger than I think, but my speed could use some work." Ulrich swung at the Dark Angel and missed. Ulrich sprung backwards and his sabers glowed red. "Crescents!" He swung his sabers wildly, firing three red crescents of blazing energy at the Dark Angel, which dodged by twisting and bending abnormally.

"Let's try something different." Odd flew down on the Overboard between the new monster and the Ubertank. "Come on, big guy, what do you have for me?" Odd aimed at the new monster. He heard the Ubertank open and begin to charge a ring of energy. "Let's see how strong you are." Odd turned upwards on the Overboard as the horizontal ring fired from the band around the Ubertank and spread out.

"Wow." Aelita watched the Ubertank shockwave hit the monster, but did nothing to it.

"This new monster is practically invincible." Alex observed. "Time to do something shocking."

"No, you idiot, don't!" Sissi yelled from the skies as Alex pressed the button on the Overcycle, releasing his legs and disengaging the helmet. He drove straight at the new monster and jumped off at Lightspeed, his hands sparking with green energy. He landed and managed to hang onto its back as the Overcycle crashed into the creature harmlessly and was destroyed. He sent as much electricity as he could into the monster, but it rolled back and crushed him instead of being destroyed.

"Damn!" Alex cursed as the Scanner doors opened. "I got owned..." He frowned as he took the elevator up to the Control Room.

"Don't try and fight it. Focus on the Dark Angel and Ubertank. After they're gone, the rest can distract this new monster." Jeremie instructed. He wiped sweat from his brow. "Why am I so tired?" he murmured.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the Ubertank, which rolled away from her.

"William, go after the Ubertank. I'll distract the new monster." Yumi ordered.

"You got it, Yumi." William jumped off of the Overwing. As he fell, he raised his Zweihander over his head, ready to swing it like an axe.

-( ( • ) ) -

As the elevator doors opened, Alex wrinkled his nose. "What's that smell and why is everything tinted green?" He circled the room to Jeremie's chair, where the younger of the two blondes was passed out. "Jeremie!" Alex put on the headset nervously. "Guys, um, Jeremie is passed out and there's something in the Factory, it's all green and it smells funny."

"Take Jeremie up to the top floor." Aelita ordered on Lyoko.

"Right." Alex pulled Jeremie over his shoulder and coughed, his eyes watering and his body already growing weak. He managed to press the elevator button in time to go up as he went into a violent coughing fit and set Jeremie in the corner of the elevator.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at the Dark Angel, while Ulrich continued firing Crescents. The Dark Angel simply couldn't dodge everything and was soon hit in the wing, throwing it off balance.

"Super Sprint." Ulrich ran with such great speed, Odd missed it when he blinked. He opened his eyes to see Ulrich slashing wildly at the Dark Angel and destroying it.

"Good job man. Let's handle-" Before could finish, William landed an incredible strike on the Ubertank. With the momentum from his fall, his swing was so powerful, he broke through the outer shell and destroyed the Ubertank.

"Wow." William took a few steps back. "That was cool."

"Try that on the new guy." Odd aimed at the new monster. "Laser Arrow!" He fired and hit it, but did little damage.

"Super Sprint." Ulrich took off, and when close, he struck the front leg of the new monster. It fired a large, powerful laser from it's port, but Ulrich was fast enough to dodge.

"Aelita, go and deactivate the Tower!" Sissi cried as she managed to float down to the new monster and put her hands on its Eye.

"On it!" Aelita ran to the activated Tower as the rest battled the new monster. She rose to the second platform and scanned her hand on the panel. "Tower deactivated." The Lyoko code flashed across the panel and the binary screens that composed the Tower wall fell around her.

-( ( • ) ) -

The elevator door opened like a garage door, and Alex instantly fell out, unconscious. Both he and Jeremie had several skin lesions covering their fainted bodies.

-( ( • ) ) -

The new monster finally exploded, flinging Sissi off. Her hands continued glowing with the stolen Life Points. "Now what?"

"Surely draining it isn't the only way to destroy it." Yumi crossed her arms.

"We might need a return, who knows what happened to Jeremie and Alex." Aelita launched one from the control panel in the Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

In the Control Room, the Lyoko Warriors all stood around the inactive Holomap. "If Xana has Lyoko blocked by all those Dark monsters, then Franz can't contact us any more." Jeremie watched the monitor from his chair. "Which explains why he hasn't sent any new information since bringing Ulrich back."

"And that new monster, where did it come from?" Aelita inquired, having been on Lyoko and unable to research the beast. Jeremie pulled up the screen from earlier.

"The Super Computer we were going to destroy, the one we didn't know what it did. Some of these Super Computers discovered aren't being used for anything, yet."

"But that new monster, we couldn't hurt it until Sissi drained it dry." Yumi bit her lip, just imagining an attack where Sissi wasn't available.

"A blast from an upgraded Megatank didn't do squat. Whatever that thing is, we can't hurt it normally. Just like the Kolossus." Ulrich growled as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Volcanoid." Everyone turned to Odd.

"What?" Sissi tilted her head.

"New monster, new name. Volcanoid."

"What does it mean?" Alex looked from Sissi back to Odd, who shrugged his shoulders.

"It just came to me. Maybe something to do with the Norse mythology? There is a lot of stuff in my head that I don't understand."

"Really?" Jeremie looked at Odd quizzically. "Part of the upgrade?"

"It has to be." Odd smiled. "Well, what do we do Einstein?"

"If we want to leave Lyoko, we need either a way to travel without going into the Internet, or find a way past all of those monsters." Aelita observed.

"If we upgraded the shields and engine on the Skid maybe we could out run them. If we-" Jeremie began to ramble and type on the control panel, but was cut off by a cough from Yumi.

"Uh, homework, and my parents. I have stuff to do. Can we speed it up?"

"Well, we don't need you guys for this. If you want to leave, go ahead." Jeremie waved a hand dismissively.

"Well, dinner's almost here again with that return." Odd patted his stomach.

"And Sissi and I can go finish the movie." Ulrich held up his tickets from earlier as he and Sissi walked to the elevator.

"I have to go meet Skye by the weight room, with that return I can work out some more and this way I won't have to explain myself leaving her in the dust." Alex followed Ulrich and Sissi, as did Odd.

"I...have no reason to go other than I can't help and I'm bored." William and Yumi were the last to board the elevator and leave the Factory.


	21. Episode 142: Dusk's Pride

Aelita and Jeremie were taking a break from the Super Computer in Jeremie's dorm. "You're lucky that Mr. Delmas decided to let you try to make up your homework." Aelita noted as she and Jeremie sped through the pile of papers, scribbling down answers.

"I know. And with this, maybe Patrick will be sent back." Jeremie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Tired of me already?" The two turned to the door to see Patrick entering the dorm room.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremie stared at him.

"This is my dorm room. I have stuff in here that I need." He walked to a cabinet and pulled two books out. "I'll leave you two alone since you're doing homework, finally." Patrick left the room again.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William were in the gym, training. She unleashed a roundhouse kick, and he caught it.

"Good, you're getting better." Yumi smiled as she managed to flip, kicking him with her free foot, therefore releasing her other foot and allowing her to complete the flip.

"That smarts." William groaned after catching his balance as he resumed his stance.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich was with Sissi in the rec room, watching one of her soap operas.

"So Lupita's ninth husband was actually her third husband but with a different name and a moustache?" Ulrich raised an eyebrow.

"No, he was her fourth husband. The third one was Antonio and he was the one who died on the plane while his second wife Monica was giving birth to the daughter of Lupita's seventh husband, Jorge."

"Oh, I get it." Ulrich lied, shaking his head while Sissi wasn't looking.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex was with his two usual friends watching a movie. The three had 3D glasses on and screaming could very plainly be heard for 10 seconds straight while they listlessly shoved popcorn in their mouths.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was walking through the woods, bored. He had vowed to stay away from Aelita as much as possible, so as to not mess things up with her and Jeremie. After a couple of tries on Sissi, he had been threatened by Ulrich to leave her alone.

As he walked, he soon came to the Hermitage, where the front door was open.

"Who's in there?" Odd asked nobody in particular. He tip-toed to the nearest window and silently looked in. _Jim?_

"Mr. Delmas, I'm not sure what to look for." Jim was standing at the bookcase. "We don't even know if he left it exactly here."

"He might not have, but if he has Aelita looking for it, I'm sure she's at least been here." Mr. Delmas lifted a shelf. "I found something." An aged set of papers, stapled together, sat behind the shelf. "I can't make any of this out."

"It looks like formulas." Jim looked at the paper over Mr. Delmas's shoulder.

"What are they doing?" Odd leaned against the glass, trying to get a better look inside.

"Definitely formulas for something." Jim began to flip through the first few pages with his back to Odd. He stopped on one page with the Eye of Xana on it.

"Xana's symbol, not good." Odd ducked down and began to think. "That has to be important." He stood back up and looked through the window again. Jim and Mr. Delmas were no longer there. "Where did they go?"

"Odd Della Robbia?" Odd turned sheepishly to Mr. Delmas.

"What are you doing here, Odd?" Jim barked.

"Um, uh, what are you doing here?" Odd took a couple steps back.

"I'm the adult. I ask the questions." Jim crossed his arms, crinkling the rolled-up papers.

"I was just, uh, can I see that?" Odd pointed at the paper.

"Why would you want to see this?"

"It looks interesting and I might be able to figure some of it out." Odd grinned.

"How long were you watching us?" Mr. Delmas demanded.

"Well, I, uh, followed you out here, wondering what you were doing." Odd laughed a little. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"And it got the Odd detention." Jim grabbed Odd by the arm and the three went back to the school.

"But it's a Saturday and this isn't even school property! You can't punish me for being here, it is Saturday and I can go wherever I want!" Odd whined, but his pleas fell on deaf, rather uncaring ears.

-( ( • ) ) -

An hour later, Odd was sitting in the library, working on a plan. He saw Mr. Delmas take the paper with him, so it was most likely in his office. If he could convince Sissi, or have Ulrich convince Sissi, to get that paper...Who knew what was on it? It had to do with Xana, that was certain. Yes, that should decide it for Sissi. She was a Lyoko Warrior now, she'd do anything to beat Xana, Odd was sure.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich and Sissi were leaving the rec room just as Yumi and William were leaving the gym. They walked past each other, without a wave, hello, or even a fleeting glance.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and Aelita were done with most of Jeremie's missing homework, when they heard a beeping alarm. "Super Scan." Jeremie reached for his laptop and opened it. "It's one of those new Sectors, the one between the Mountain and Desert Sector. Call Ulrich and Yumi. I'll call Odd and Alex."

"Okay." They got their cell phones out and made the calls.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Okay." Ulrich shoved his phone in his jacket pocket. "Sissi, I'm sorry, but it's Xana."

"I can't believe this." she spat. Ulrich didn't respond to Sissi, running to the sewer entrance instead. "Ulrich!" Sissi ran after him.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fumbled with it for a moment as soon as Jim looked away and saw the SOS XANA message. "Uh, Jim? I need to use the bathroom." Odd held his hands between his legs and made a strained face.

"Hold it. You still have two more hours." Jim ordered.

"I can't!" Odd got up and rushed out of the library.

"Odd!" Jim got up and started to go after Odd, then stopped. "Well, when you got to go, you got to go. I remember when I worked at the...There's no one to hear about it. I'll wait for Odd to come back."

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William ran for the sewer entrance in the woods.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex sighed after looking at his phone. Skye gave him an exasperated look.

"Don't tell me." she sighed. "You have to go."

"Bye." Mathieu briefly said.

"Um, I'm sorry." Alex got up and quickly exited the theater.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana took over a Scanner. The doors closed, and when they opened, his fastest, most agile monster emerged from the smoke.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors met in the sewers and were soon running at full tilt for the Factory.

"We better have a return." Alex sighed, not wanting his friends to get any more angry than they already were at him for running off all the time.

"I hope so too." Odd agreed. He didn't need nor want more detention.

"Let's hope not." Aelita disagreed. She and Jeremie, on the other hand, didn't want to have to go through the homework again.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Dark Angel stepped onto the bridge in front of the Factory. It flexed its wings and sharpened its claws on each other, waiting for its targets.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors soon got to the end of the sewer passage and took the ladder out. As they ran across the bridge, the Dark Angel leapt down from the roof of the Factory, spread its wings to slow its fall, and landed gracefully in front of the Warriors.

"Okay, this is bad." Jeremie backed away.

"I have been sent here to destroy you." The Dark Angel extended its claws at the Warriors. "Prepare to die."

"You sure are full of yourself." Odd got in a boxing stance. "I bet you won't be able to beat me." Odd did some boxing footwork.

"Let the others go. If you get past me you can go after them, Xana." Alex pushed past Odd.

"What?! I was gonna take him!" Odd whined.

"I'm bigger and stronger than you." Alex shot back, glaring at Odd.

"Your proposal is acceptable." The Dark Angel lunged at Alex behind his back, and he barely ducked in time after Aelita pointed and gasped.

"Go!" Alex gave the Dark Angel an uppercut as it soared over him. "I'll handle this loser." Alex swung again and missed.

The Lyoko Warriors ran past and take the elevator down to the Control Room.

"Hurry to the Scanners, we don't know how well Alex will handle the Dark Angel." Jeremie sat in the chair, which circled around to the control panel as the others continued to the Scanner Room.

"We're ready, Jeremie." Ulrich, William, and Odd stepped into the Scanners.

"Transfer Ulrich, Transfer William, Transfer Odd. Scanner Ulrich, Scanner William, Scanner Odd. Virtualization." Jeremie pulled up the next two ID Cards. "Transfer Aelita, Transfer Yumi, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Yumi, and virtualization." The five landed in a new Sector, as Jeremie promised.

The new Sector had a dusk sky with a calm aurora borealis on display, and small glowing particles floatjng about. It was pristine with deep green grass on black rocky platforms. Some rocks floated needlessly in the air, too small to support anyone, and small ankle-deep streams of pure water flowed right through several platforms, ending in small cascades that faded into vapor long before hitting the black Digital Sea below. Semitransparent white trees, pale tall crystals and a few black rocks littered the ground.

"What's up with this Sector?" Odd looked around, startled.

"I'm not sure." Jeremie replied.

"Things are so surreal." Sissi watched one of the waterfalls. "It's so pretty."

"Then you'll have to be careful." Jeremie stated simply as he sent the vehicles. "I'm done upgrading the Overwing to look like the Overcycle does, and I'm going to work on the Overboard next."

"I want to try this thing out." Odd climbed on the Overcycle and pressed the engage button. His helmet and glowing lights were purple, as was to be expected.

"Nice makeover. Love the black." Yumi said with a laugh as she stepped aboard and engaged the new, sleeker Overwing. The Eye, not necessary signifying Xana much like the back of Aelita's ID Card showing a pink Eye, glowed with Yumi's signature red on the front of the Overwing, the center dot being the red dot that was already on the Overwing. Another matching Eye was on the part of the Overwing that the rider stood on. Yumi found herself with red and black goggles, rather than a helmet, as well as metal plates locking around her feet. "Very nice."

"Where do we go, Jeremie?" Aelita asked as she got on the Overboard.

"Go west. You shouldn't be too far." Jeremie watched as the Lyoko Warriors headed on treacherous ground for the activated Tower.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex ducked a swipe from the Dark Angel. "See, you can't even touch me." He ducked again and punched it in the stomach.

"I am merely playing." The Dark Angel fired a continuous laser, searing Alex's shirt and leaving a burn on his chest.

"You play pretty rough." Alex winced as he held the wound. "No!" He jumped away from a slash and his arm was cut open. He clutched at his burn with the injured arm, still, and held the injured arm with his other arm, crossing them.

"I am done playing." The Dark Angel swiped again at Alex's head, and he barely ducked. "I suggest we both stop holding back. On Lyoko, you have an advantage of your friends and powers. Here, you have neither."

"I don't need my powers to beat you." Alex snarled as he kicked out.

"And your friends?" The Dark Angel taunted as it flapped its wings and backed away from the kick.

"I'd love to have their help right now."

-( ( • ) ) -

The other Lyoko Warriors finally got to the activated Tower and the guard. "He just sent the Scorpion." Aelita looked around. "Jeremie, do you see any other monsters on the screen?"

"Not yet. But be careful. The last time Xana used the Volcanoid, it came from nowhere."

"Who needs to be careful when you have me?" Ulrich pulled a sword out. "Aelita, give me a couple minutes to destroy the Scorpion. Odd, watch out for any other monsters."

"What about us?" Yumi put a hand on her hip, referring to herself, William and Sissi.

"I don't need you. Jeremie should probably stop sending you three, you're useless on Lyoko. Only Odd, Alex and I can fight Xana's new monsters and we need Aelita for Towers. Maybe Sissi can come since she beat the Volcanoid and can heal." Ulrich leapt off of the Overbike and landed in front of the Scorpion.

"He's such a, a...a snob. William, Sissi, let's leave him to the Scorpion so he can get whooped." The three pulled back and waited.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex backed away from the Dark Angel on the bridge. "No!" The Dark Angel lunged forward and slashed the already injured Warrior across the chest, and he screamed out.

"It's over. Prepare to be killed." The Dark Angel grabbed Alex by the neck by squeezing it between its hands, the blades protruding from halfway down its fingers easily capable of cutting his neck and letting him bleed out. The monster lifted him over the side of the bridge, and its Eye began to glow, ready to incinerate him with a laser and drown him by dropping him afterwards.

"Not by you!" Alex grabbed the Dark Angel's arm, the one being used to hold his neck, as he pushed his legs off the bridge supports. They both fell over the edge and into the water. Alex slowly managed to swim to the stairs by the waterfront, but the Dark Angel's claws made it impossible for it to swim.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie heard the elevator running and looked at the doors. "I might have to run." He took the headset off and ran to the passage out of the Control Room, and peeked around the corner.

When the elevator doors opened, Alex's voice rang out. "Jeremie?" The young genius stepped out from his hiding place and ran to the chair in front of the control panel.

"I'll scan you. Looks like he cut you up pretty bad."

"Yeah." Alex pressed the button and moaned as he leaned against the elevator walls.

"Transfer Alex, Scanner Alex, Virtualization." Alex landed on Lyoko in the new Sector.

"Whoa, this place is totally weird." Alex looked around.

"So I've heard. Go west, you're not far from the others. Odd's on your beloved Overcycle so you'll have to go by Lightspeed."

"Got it." Alex soon became a green blur as he ran, his Life Points slowly ticking down.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich dodged the Scorpion's tail and slashed at it, but missed. "He's a lot faster than he looks." Ulrich swung again and missed again.

"Need our help after all?" Sissi offered.

"No." Ulrich slashed once more.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Dark Angel sunk to the riverbed and walked across to the wall of the waterfront. It dug its claws into the side and started to climb up.

-( ( • ) ) -

As the others watched Ulrich fight the Scorpion, the new Twilight Sector rumbled. "There's something on the screen." Yumi and William turned just in time to watch the Volcanoid form from a red wireframe. "Be careful!"

"Aelita, stay back. We'll distract it." Yumi ordered as she and William dove on the Overwing. When closer, Yumi disengaged the Overwing so she could jump off. William gripped the steering handle and engaged it once more, forming his cyan goggles.

"Be careful, Yumi." William ascended on the Overwing, formulating an attack plan.

"Hai!" Yumi flung her fans. When they got close, they bounced off of an invisible shield. "This is bad." Yumi backed away as the Volcanoid came loser. "We need help, Jeremie."

"Alex is on his way." Jeremie offered, watching the blip that was Alex slowly get near the other blips.

"Let's see if I can break the shield, like I broke the Megatank's shell." William disengaged the Overwing and stepped to the edge, with one hand on the steering handle. "Here goes." He jumped off, with his Zweihander raised over his head like a flag.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at the back of the Volcanoid, but hit the shield. "Einstein, is there any way around the shield?"

Ulrich dodged the Scorpion's tail and slashed it across the chest. The Scorpion roared and fired a laser at him. He blocked it with his swords, then attacked the Scorpion again.

"Die!" William charged his Zweihander as he fell. When he got close, he swung his Zweihander like an axe and slammed it into the shield. Sparks showered and the shield began to dent, and he broke through. He cut through the right leg of the Volcanoid, and fell with his blade wedged in the ground.

"Great job, William!" Sissi floated down to the Volcanoid and began to drain it, but it battered her away.

"Thanks." William smiled as he tried to get his sword loose. He never saw the blast coming from the Volcanoid's large laser port, and he devirtualized back to Earth.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Dark Angel made it out of the river, and it flapped its wings, soaring to the Factory entrance.

-( ( • ) ) -

"That was amazing, William." Jeremie congratulated William over the intercom as the elevator began to run. "Wait, uh-oh." William was still in the Scanner Room, and he hadn't pressed the button, Jeremie could see from the security camera. He pulled up Alex's communication window, where his ID Card showed him looking down the barrel of one pistol, aiming at nothing with the other one at his side, rather similar in pose to one of Ulrich's old cards. "Alex, what did you do to the Dark Angel?"

"I threw it in the river. It couldn't swim because of those claws." The equalizer bars adorning the communication window hopped up and down as he spoke.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I saw it sink to the bottom myself."

"Where it could have walked along to the side and used its claws to climb back up?" Jeremie was incredulous.

"What was I supposed to do? It was about to mutilate me and I took both of us into the river. It's not like I could just swim down and beat it up some more with the way it cut me up. I'm lucky I made it to the Factory." Alex defended.

"What do I do?!" Jeremie threw his hands in the air.

"You might want to run, Einstein, William." Odd advised while firing Laser Arrows at the Volcanoid.

"I'll handle it." William assured Jeremie, having climbed up the ladder just as the elevator, with the Dark Angel on it, stopped at the Control Room.

"I will tear both of you apart." The Dark Angel scraped its claws on each other, wiping off some of Alex's blood.

"Alex beat you and I can beat you." William jumped at the Dark Angel, a dumb move considering it could spear him easily. Instead, it ducked, and he went flying over. The monster turned and came down on him, ignoring his screams.

"I have to do something." Jeremie looked around and saw his Ghost Buster. "I hope this works." He picked it up and approached the Dark Angel.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Eat metal!" Alex reached the group and sprung off of a rock, and fired three bullets. One of them landed in the Eye of the Volcanoid.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd, too, hit it in the Eye.

"Drain!" Sissi fired her small ray, just as she had in order to protect the Nautilus from Mantas when Ulrich returned. She aimed well and hit the Eye.

"Hey, something's happening." Yumi narrowed her eyes. The three who had hit the Eye, plus Yumi, backed away as the Volcanoid roared, convulsed and sparked.

"Watch out!" Odd jumped at Yumi, knocking her to the ground as the Volcanoid exploded violently and devirtualized Sissi.

"Whoa!" The shockwave from the blast hit Aelita as she circled above the Sector on the Overboard. She tumbled off of it and began to fall to the Sector floor.

"Princess!" Odd bounded on all fours and caught her. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." Aelita looked into Odd's eyes as he smiled. If she had been on Earth, she would have been blushing. "Um, set me down, please."

"Don't want me to carry you to the Tower, Princess?" Odd laughed as he set Aelita down.

-( ( • ) ) -

"William!" Jeremie brought the Ghost Buster down on the Dark Angel's back and wings. Energy sparked around the Dark Angel just before the Ghost Buster exploded. Electricity coursed through Jeremie and he screamed, pushed away by the blast.

"Your toy will not harm me." The Dark Angel stood up, blood dripping off of its claws.

"Aelita, hurry up..." Jeremie backed away slowly.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich continued to battle the Scorpion.

"Gotcha!" Yumi cried as she threw her fans at it, but Ulrich slashed them away.

"I don't need your help." he snarled.

"Stop being such a snob!" Yumi yelled back.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at the Scorpion and hit it on the Eye. It roared, then exploded.

"Odd, I said I didn't need any help!" Ulrich stormed towards him threateningly.

"Well, I wanted to help anyway." Odd turned to Aelita. "Your castle awaits you, Princess." Odd bowed.

"I didn't need your help." Ulrich cut Odd down and devirtualized him.

"Ulrich, what is your problem?" Yumi shouted. He swung at Yumi but she ducked.

"Knock it off!" Alex growled as Yumi backed away.

"I don't need anyone's help! Franz made me better then any of you!"

Aelita shook her head and ran into the Tower as Ulrich continued to yell.

"Tower deactivated." The panel displayed that Code Lyoko had been entered. "Jeremie?" Aelita looked at the ceiling, waiting for a response, but got none. "The Dark Angel, we need one." She pulled up the program. "Return to the past, now!" The white bubble burst out, reversing time.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd hurried to the Hermitage, running this time instead of wandering. He threw the door open and looked around the shelf Mr. Delmas had moved for the papers.

"Here it is." He looked it over. "Strange. Xana's basic programming, maybe?" Odd shook his head. "I wish Franz gave me more mental upgrades than physcial." Odd crammed the papers in his pocket and hurried out the back door of the Hermitage as Jim and Mr. Delmas walked in as they had before the attack.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich sat at a seperate table with Sissi during dinner, ignoring everyone he once considered friends.


	22. Episode 143: Arrogance

_**A/N:** Super big shoutout to Naruto Sakura Uzumaki for reviewing! I really appreciate it. :) You will definitely see some more reckless Ulrich and I can tell you now the Volcano Sector is definitely one of the two yet-to-be-revealed Sectors, but it won't pop up for a while. The other one, I wanna keep a surprise. You caught me on the Twilight Sector; that Realm was a big inspiration. Thank you so much for your thoughts, they really inspire me to keep on writing! :)_

Jeremie and Aelita were working late into the night on the Super Computer. "I think your idea did it." Jeremie entered in one last line of code.

"_Our _idea did it." Aelita corrected while she watched him type over his shoulder.

"With the shields and engines on the Skid powered up, we should be able to get out of Lyoko now, no matter how many monsters Xana sends."

"When will we try?"

"Tomorrow sounds good. It's already late. We should get back." Jeremie glanced at the clock on his phone.

"Patrick is going to wonder where you were." Aelita wrapped her arms around Jeremie's neck, hugging him.

"I don't care. My homework's done and I've made it to most of my classes." Jeremie leaned back, feeling Aelita's warmth. "And things between us are great." The two kissed for a moment.

"We better go." The two left the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie tried to sneak into his room, but ran into Patrick. "Where were you?" Jeremie tried to ignore him. "Where were you this late, Jeremie?!" Patrick pushed him. "I checked the girls' dorm floor and Sissi was missing."

"Sissi?" Jeremie blinked.

"You're saying you weren't with her? Then who were you with?" Patrick demanded.

"Wait, Sissi wasn't in her room?"

"Who were you with this late?"

"Back off, it's none of your business."

"It was Aelita Stones, wasn't it? I should go find a teacher right now and tell them."

"Go ahead. We'll just lie. Two against one. I can get Odd, Alex and Ulrich to vouch for us, too." Jeremie waved a hand sardonically as he got ready for bed.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next morning Jeremie saw Sissi and Ulrich walking hand in hand. "I wonder where they were last night."

"Huh?" Odd had a mouthful of egg.

"Sissi wasn't in her room last night."

"Yeah, neither was Ulrich. Wait, how did you know Sissi wasn't in her room?" Odd shoveled in another mouthful after speaking.

"Patrick told me."

"How did he know?"

"He was looking for me and he wanted to know who I was with last night."

"...he checked every girl's room?" Alex asked in horror. "How'd he even get in...that is just weird."

"Apparently." Jeremie said with a shrug. "He probably just asked Jim or something. Either way, he figured out I was with Aelita."

"Oh. You and the Princess were at the Factory pretty late." Odd's smile made Aelita and Jeremie blush.

"We were working on the Skidbladnir. We powered up the shields and engines. After class we'll try and take out one of Xana's Super Computers." Aelita explained as she took a sip of her milk.

"Which one?" Yumi asked with her eyebrows raised.

"I like the one in Australia. We don't know what it does yet so I think," Jeremie glanced at Aelita, "_we_ think Xana is saving it. If we don't want any surprises, we better take it out. Might get rid of one of those other two Sectors that Aelita said were in the process of forming, or keep Xana from making a new monster."

"Another Sector or monster is just what we _don't_ need." Alex sighed. The group soon finished and split off to go to class.

-( ( • ) ) -

After classes, the group was going to go to the Factory, but Jeremie needed a little help ditching Patrick.

"Hey." Odd approached Milly and Tamiya.

"Odd, hi." Milly grinned. The two girls couldn't have stopped staring at Odd if a werewolf was about to eat them.

"I have a scoop for you."

"A super scoop?" Tamiya raised her camera excitedly.

"A mega ultra super scoop." Odd smiled, making both girls blush.

"What is it?" Milly stared at him urgently.

"Patrick is trying to steal Sissi from Ulrich, but is also trying to get Aelita from Jeremie."

"How do you know?"

"Ulrich and Jeremie complained to me and asked me for help." Odd leaned forward. "And if you help me, I might be able to convince my cousin, you know, _the_ Pink Star, to give you an exclusive interview."

"We're on it!" Milly and Tamiya chirped simultaneously and sprinted away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was in a hallway of the school, trying to lose Patrick. When Milly and Tamiya saw them, they rushed over. "Patrick! Jeremie!"

"What?" Jeremie came to a halt.

"Are you two fighting because Patrick's trying to steal Aelita?" Milly blurted.

"But, he...Patrick!" Jeremie shoved Patrick after a moment of shock.

"Dude, it's a lie!" Patrick backed up against a window as Jeremie advanced. "I swear, Jeremie."

"We have a source who says you're also going after Sissi Delmas. Are you trying to get with her so you can be on good terms with the principal?" Milly demanded.

"I, what?" Patrick looked at the two girls, then at Jeremie.

Jeremie was about to let loose some choice words and maybe even a punch, but he saw Odd behind Patrick through the window. Odd held up a thumbs-up sign, and Jeremie caught onto the plot. "Stay away from my girlfriend! Don't talk to me!" Jeremie turned and stormed outside.

"Milly and Tamiya were a great idea, right, Einstein?" Odd ran up to Jeremie and held up his hand for a high five.

"You could have given me a little warning." Jeremie ignored Odd's hand and the two dashed into the woods.

-( ( • ) ) -

The group met at the Factory. "The Skid is set up. You guys should be able to move through any monsters and head for the nearest hub. You'll have to take it to the coordinates already loaded in the Skid and I'll send Yumi and Ulrich to the Super Computer."

"Why those two?" William asked, staring at Yumi.

"Ulrich is a great warrior and will be able to handle any thing Xana sends and Yumi has long range weapons that can go around corners. Odd, Aelita and Alex can't curve their shots. Your ranged weapon takes your points and Sissi's healing might not work on Earth." Jeremie pulled the transfer bar and ID Card selector up. "As soon as you're ready to go, I'll send you."

"I'm ready." Ulrich was the first to get on the elevator. The rest followed him, and they took it down to the Scanner Room.

"Transfer Ulrich, Transfer Odd, Transfer William. Scanner Ulrich, Scanner Odd, Scanner William. Virtualization." They landed in the Skid Hangar, near the pedestals. "Transfer Aelita, Transfer Yumi. Scanner Aelita, Scanner Yumi, and virtualization." The two landed. "Transfer Alex, Transfer Sissi. Scanner Alex, Scanner Sissi, and virtualization." They landed as well, near the others.

"Let's get going. Meatballs and gravy tonight." Odd patted his stomach.

"We have plenty of time." Jeremie Energized the team and Aelita piloted the Skid into the northeast tunnel, coming out near the Twilight Sector. The Skid took the plunge into the deep waters of the Digital Sea.

-( ( • ) ) -

As the team left Lyoko, aquatic monsters surrounded them.

"Go!" Jeremie cried. Aelita revved the engines and sped off. The monsters fired after her.

"Jeremie, the shields are weakening!" The pinkette protested.

"You still have plenty left, just make it to the hub!" Jeremie tried to keep Aelita calm. "You're almost there!"

"Help!" Aelita wailed as the Skid rumbled from a torpedo strike. "I don't see it! Where is it, Jeremie?!"

"You're right on it! You have to see it." Jeremie stared at the screen.

"There, Princess! To our left, my left, I don't know which left!" Odd noticed the hub, as well as two Sharks coming from below. "Watch out for the sardines!"

"There!" Aelita piloted the Skid to the hub and entered it.

"Good job, Aelita." Jeremie sighed and relaxed.

-( ( • ) ) -

When the Skid came to the Replika, there was a resounding groan from the four original Warriors.

"I thought we'd never have to see another one of these ever again." Ulrich sighed and leaned back in his seat as Aelita started the connection with the gate. A white beam shot from the Skid into the center of the closed gate.

"I think I smashed the encryption, did it work?" Jeremie watched from his screen after using a codebreaker.

"Yes, Jeremie. Thank you." Aelita smiled and drove the Skid into the now-opened Replika.

They emerged from navy blue waters into a darker blue sky. "It's an Ice Sector Replika." Aelita searched the area for a Tower to dock onto.

"Aelita, fly north. The closest Tower is there." Jeremie guided. She followed his directions and found the Tower.

"Jeremie, you don't have to send both of us." Ulrich said pointedly.

"Why, Ulrich?" Jeremie blinked.

"I don't need Yumi's help. She'll only slow me down."

"Ulrich, you jerk! I'm a Lyoko Warrior!" Yumi protested.

"That's cold." Alex noted.

"Shut up, both of you." Ulrich shot back.

"Hey, no need to get snappy, you're not any more or less special than us." The blonde took the defensive against the brunette.

"Yumi has her fans, which are great for long distance attacks." William tried to defend Yumi.

"I have long distance attacks now, my Crescents." Ulrich said with a smirk.

"But hers can go around corners and stuff. Ulrich, you're both going." Jeremie activated the Translation program to send the two, and then Energized the remaining five Warriors to the Replika ground to guard the Skidbladnir.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and Ulrich landed in the Australian Outback. "Stay here, Yumi."

"No." Yumi crossed her arms.

"I don't need to waste any time worrying about you."

"Then don't worry about me."

"You haven't been upgraded. All you will do is slow me down." Ulrich ran for the base and Yumi took off after him.

-( ( • ) ) -

"I see something on the screen." Jeremie watched as three red blips quickly neared the four green and one yellow that represented the Lyoko Warriors.

"Krabs." William pulled his Zweihander out from black smoke.

"Be careful. We don't know if Xana will send any of his new monsters." Jeremie watched as his friends began to fight.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at a Krab and missed.

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander, sending the energy crescent out. It cut one of the Krabs in the leg, disabling it.

"Gotcha!" Alex fired a spray of bullets, piercing the disabled Krab's Eye and destroying it.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich and Yumi soon came to a run-down building resembling a military base, about half the size of Sector 5's maze. "No guards. This will be easy." Ulrich sauntered up to a large metal door.

"We can't just bust in, Ulrich. There will be _something_ inside." Yumi grabbed his arm.

"If you're scared, then stay back." Ulrich pulled away and took his swords from the sheaths on his hips.

"I'm not scared, but we're here to destroy the Super Computer and if we have every guard in the building after us, it'll be impossible."

"Impossible for you." Ulrich slashed the door with his swords, cutting a space large enough for him to get through. He climbed in and ran into the darkness.

"Get back here, jerk." Yumi followed after him.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, the Warriors were cleaning up the monsters Xana had sent. "Laser Arrow!" Odd hit a Krab in the Eye, destroying it.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw her energy orb and hit the remaining Krab in the leg, pink energy crackling over it. Sissi flew down from the skies and extended her hand to the Krab, and made contact, ignoring the pink energy from the Energy Field that began to travel up her arm. Since she was taking the remainder of the monster's Life Points and adding them to her own as the pink plasma hurt her, she ended up with only a few less than she had before. The Krab exploded violently.

"That's the last one." Sissi chirped as she climbed to her feet and stretched her arms out.

"Good job, Odd." Aelita congratulated.

"We all did it." Odd smiled.

"Thanks for the assist, William." Alex nodded to him.

"No problem." William nodded back.

"Jeremie, are there any other monsters?" Sissi looked around warily.

"Yeah, I don't think Xana would give up this easily." Aelita agreed with the other girl's worries.

"Not yet." Jeremie watched the screen while listening to Ulrich and Yumi bicker with each other.

"I'm telling you, Ulrich, it's this way." Yumi insisted; she and Ulrich stood at a fork in the base. "I can hear the buzzing sound."

"It's not that way, it's this way." Ulrich persisted.

"Fine, Ulrich, go that way and I'll go this way." Yumi started to go down the rightmost corridor, but Ulrich took hold of her wrist.

"It's not down there." Ulrich growled.

"How can you be so sure?" Yumi jerked her hand away.

"Because I am."

"Well, I'm going down there anyways." Yumi started down the hallway.

"Get back here!" Ulrich ran after her.

-( ( • ) ) -

Back on Lyoko, the ground started to shake. "Jeremie, something is happening." Aelita activated her wings and took to the skies to get a better look.

"Something is coming. I can't tell what it is yet." Jeremie warned.

"Volcanoid!" Aelita created an energy orb. "Energy Field!" She launched it, but hit the usual invisible shield.

"Aelita, Sissi, give me a lift." William had his Zweihander out and ready.

"What are you doing?" Odd backed up towards the Skid as the Volcanoid advanced on the group.

"Being useful." William waited for one of the girls to fly down to him.

"I can do a suicide run and try using the momentum from Lightspeed to break the shield." Alex offered.

"No, that'll devirtualize you for sure. My idea will let us all keep fighting, hopefully."

-( ( • ) ) -

In Australia, Yumi and Ulrich stood at the door outside of the Super Computer. "I _told _you it was this way." Yumi grunted.

"We need a way in." Ulrich grumbled.

"Well, cut through."

"I thought you said that was a bad idea." The sneer in Ulrich's voice got on Yumi's nerves.

"Well, nothing has shown up yet. We might be alone, and we're already here, so why not?" Just then, the sound of gears grinding floated eerily down the hall.

"You should have kept your mouth shut." Ulrich stepped forward when a spherical robot came screeching around a corner. It morphed and discarded its sphere form for a humanoid form. Laser guns revealed themselves from the wrists of the robot's arms.

"I'll try to get the door open. Block the robot." Yumi reachced for the keypad. "Jeremie, we need a code."

"Got it." Jeremie started working.

"Hurry." Ulrich whined while blocking lasers with his sabers.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Sissi and Aelita each held one of William's arms, holding him high up in the air.

"Is this high enough for you, William?" Aelita asked once they were higher than any of the ice structures or Towers in the area. He nodded in response.

"Good luck." Sissi smiled. "Aelita, we let go on three. One, two, three!" The two girls released their grip on William, and he hurtled towards the Volcanoid.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi pulled her fans out. "Go!" She threw them and they curved in the air, slicing both arms of the robot clean off.

"Lucky shot." Ulrich sprung forward and brought his sword down, destroying the robot.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander as he fell with all of his might. He hit the shield with the energy crescent, weakening it, and impacted it, breaking through. His Zweihander hit the Volcanoid on the shoulder and bounced off. The Volcanoid swung a leg and knocked William away.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired three arrows at the Volcanoid, and hit it in the side. It roared and stepped backwards, but wasn't destroyed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and Ulrich could hear sound of another robot coming. "Jeremie, do you have the code yet?!" Yumi asked desperately as she held her fans, ready to fight.

"It's a little more complicated than a pad lock, Yumi."

"Ulrich, use your swords to get in." Ulrich shook his head. "Why not? You got through the outside door easily."

"Because."

"Stop acting like such a jerk! We need to destroy the Super Computer." Ulrich ignored her as two robots rolled into the room.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Energy Field!" Aelita aimed carefully for the Eye of Xana from above, then launched the orb. It sailed through the air and landed on the Eye, destroying the Volcanoid.

"What do you think? Is Xana done now, Einstein?" Odd held his paws out and looked around, ready to fire at any more monsters.

"I don't know. Yumi, Ulrich, I can't get the code. Xana's protected and encrypted it, I'll have to crack it later. The Translation is almost over. You have to get in by yourselves." Jeremie waited for a response, but recieved none. "Yumi? Ulrich?"

"Busy!" Yumi and Ulrich were blocking lasers as one more robot rolled into the hallway.

"You have two minutes before the Translation ends."

"I don't think we'll get it this time!" Yumi blocked two more lasers, but a third made it through her defenses and hit her in the upper leg.

"Guys, we're ending this mission. Energize." Jeremie Energized the five who were on Lyoko back into the Skid, then waited for the two in Australia to end the Translation.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors were in the Skid, headed back to Lyoko, and they soon came to the large orb. "Sharks, Kongres, Kalamars, dozens of them. All of them are Dark." Aelita worried.

"Just go for the entrance. Speed by every monster." Jeremie instructed. Aelita bit her lip and kicked the engines into high gear.

"Hold on tight, guys!" The Skid began shake and rumble, but Aelita continued for the entrance to Lyoko, screaming the whole way. A dark shadow slammed against the Skid, but Aelita ignored it and continued both driving and shrieking.

"You got it!" Jeremie almost threw the headset off as Aelita darted into the Lyoko entrance. "Good job."

"Thanks." Aelita smiled and winked as she flew toward the large orb in the middle of Lyoko.

The group was in the Control Room, having a meeting. "Next time I think Odd, Alex, Sissi or William should go." Yumi suggested sardonically, casting a glare over at Ulrich. "Some of us forgot how to work as a team."

"I don't need any help. If you hadn't slowed me down, the Super Computer would be destroyed." Ulrich quipped, arms crossed.

"If I wasn't there, you would have gone down the wrong hallway! You wouldn't even open the door! Jerk."

"Whatever." Ulrich stormed to the elevator and got on it. Sissi followed to try to get him to cool down, and he took it up to the Factory floor with her in tow.

"I need to be alone." Yumi rubbed her temples. "Ulrich, come-" She stopped and sighed. "William, come on." She slowly walked to the passage out of the Control Room, William in tow.

"I guess I'll go to the weight room." Alex sighed as he walked to the elevator doors.

"Well, that was fun, but I'm hungry." Odd patted his stomach and followed.

"Could you bring us some food? I want to get to work on something now that we have the Skid powered up and know it works." Jeremie requested as he glanced at Aelita, who nodded her agreement.

"Of course." Odd waited for the elevator to return, and he and Alex got on it when the doors opened.

"What's that window, Jeremie?" Aelita squinted at the screen after Jeremie pulled a code window up. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, Aelita. If we can Translate anywhere in the world, we can go where your mother is and free her."

"It's going to be hard to figure out."

"That's why we'll work together."

"But what about summer? Jeremie, you know school ends in two weeks."

"Yes, but that's why I was thinking I could use the phone application and pretend to be your father like I did when convincing Mr. Delmas to let you enroll at Kadic. I could call every Warrior's parents and ask them if they could accompany," Jeremie began to speak in an exagerrated Canadian accent, "my lovely daughter Aelita on a trip to our homeland, Canada."

"That's brilliant! But how can we fight Xana and be in Canada at the same time?"

"That's the catch. We wouldn't be going to Canada, we'd be getting sleeping bags and stuff and staying right here, but letting the parents think we're in Canada. I'll be making the calls on Saturday. I just need everyone's parents' numbers except mine and yours."

"Jeremie, you're absolutely amazing." Aelita hugged him tenderly, enjoying the warmth.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Ulrich dear, don't you think you're being just a bit rash?" Sissi asked humbly while she walked with Ulrich through the woods.

"No." Ulrich stared straight forward.

"Well, I mean, surely Yumi helped just a bit, right?" Sissi bit her lip as Ulrich leveled his gaze on her.

"Are you on that stupid string bean's side?" he snarled.

"No, it's just that I-" Sissi was cut off when Ulrich shoved her against a tree. "Ulrich!"

"I can't believe you'd betray me like that!" He hit her in the stomach and she crumpled to the ground.

"Ulrich, please, stop, I just, I..." Sissi vaulted into a bout of sobs as he pulled her back up and kissed her on the lips.

"Just don't take her side again." Ulrich warned as he walked away, Sissi hesitating before following like a lost puppy, afraid but attached.

_**A/N:** Oh snap, that wasn't like Ulrich at all! He's been acting so arrogant ever since he came back from being upgraded. Did something go wrong...?_


	23. Episode 144: Time to Cry

Ulrich had been ignoring the others as of late, and Yumi was going to the gym when she saw him with Sissi. "I can't even train with him." The Japanese girl's shoulders sagged. "And we used to be really good friends." She wiped a tear from her eye. "More than that." She somberly walked away from the gym, supressing sobs.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and Aelita were working on the Translation program. "I think we should see if we can do it from here first." Aelita tapped on the screen.

"Without the Skid? With the Skid, it's easy enough to do, but if we can use a Translation without the Skid..." Jeremie continued typing. "Even from Lyoko, it will be a big step forward."

"But the errors that might come up could damage the person's profile. If we can't reload them, we'll be a warrior short until we fix it. Let's start with the Skid first, okay, Jeremie?" Aelita bit her lower lip in worry. "We'd have to tell them the dangers, even with the Skid."

"We'll ask for a volunteer. I'm hoping for Yumi or William."

"Why them?"

"Ulrich, Alex and Odd are upgraded and you're needed to deactivate Towers. Ulrich will freak out and probably get violent if Sissi disappears, so she has to stay too. The other two are just there."

"They're important members of our group."

"That came out wrong, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that William and Yumi aren't upgraded. Ulrich, Alex and Odd could get you to a Tower without the help of anyone else. Just you and one of them would be enough. Even though Yumi and William's lives are invaluable, they aren't vital to the group like the upgraded three are."

"We'll see who volunteers." Aelita stated flatly, obviously irked. With that, they continued to wordlessly work late into the night.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was sneaking back to his dorm room when a door opened in front of him. "Oh, Jeremie." Odd poked his head out.

"What are you doing up this late?"

"Waiting for Ulrich." Odd yawned. "I'm guessing you were up late with the Princess."

"We were working on the Translation program." Jeremie continued to his dorm room.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next morning, Ulrich was nowhere to be found. "Um, Odd, have you seen Ulrich?" Sissi sat down next to the others.

"No, wasn't he with you last night?" Jeremie looked up at her.

"He ran off saying there was something he had to do." The others sitting at the table looked at each other. "There wasn't a Xana attack, was there?"

"I don't think so. Did you call him, William?" Aelita glanced at William, who shook his head. "Alex?" He, too, shook his head.

"I didn't either." Jeremie looked back at Sissi. "We don't know where he is."

"Oh, okay. I'll check the infirmary." Sissi slowly strolled away and out of the cafeteria.

-( ( • ) ) -

During classes, the group was left wondering what was going on. Ulrich was still missing. "Maybe Xana went after him." Jeremie checked his laptop.

"He was missing since last night." Aelita looked over at Jeremie. "We were at the Factory. We would have heard the Super Scan activate if Xana did it."

"Then where is he?" Jeremie asked, still staring at the Super Scan and garnering a shrug from Aelita.

-( ( • ) ) -

During lunch, Yumi plopped down next to the others. "William said Ulrich's missing. Did Xana attack?"

"No, Yumi. There is not and was not an activated Tower on Lyoko." Jeremie shook his head.

"Then where is he?" Everyone glanced at each other and shrugged. "This isn't good." Yumi took a bite of her sandwich, but stopped chewing. She was too worried about Ulrich to eat. Even if he had been acting like a jerk lately, he was still her friend. Her really good friend. Maybe more.

-( ( • ) ) -

As afternoon classes started, rain began to pour.

"Okay, pansies, it's just a little rain. You won't melt." Jim barked. A clap of thunder resounded and lightning flickered across the sky, and he jumped in fright. "We're going inside now." He blew his whistle just as another bolt of lightning crackled nearby, and booming thunder resounded almost instantly.

"Jim?" Odd walked to Jim, who was holding his throat. "Anything wrong, Jim?" Jim coughed hard, and the whistle popped out.

"Uh, I'd rather not talk about it." Jim stood at the gym doors and waited for everyone to get inside.

-( ( • ) ) -

As the kids stretched in the gym, another crack of lightning flashed in the sky outside, and the lights flickered out. "Everyone sit down where you are. With the lights off we won't be playing dodge ball."

"Jeremie, do you hear that?" Odd tapped Jeremie's shoulder.

"Hear what?"

"It sounds like your laptop." Odd pointed to Jeremie's bag, sitting by the bleachers.

"You can hear it from here?" Jeremie closed his eyes and strained his ears. "I can hardly hear anything, much less tell it's my laptop."

"Upgrades." Odd scooted slightly toward the bleachers, then came back. "I think it's the Super Scan. Does it make seven beeps really fast?"

"Yeah, so that means Xana is attacking." Jeremie looked around for Aelita, and saw her a few meters away. "Aelita, come here." She schooched across the floor over to Jeremie. "Xana is attacking."

"How do you know?" She stared at him.

"Odd can hear the Super Scan."

"All the way over here?"

"His upgrades, plus he scooted a few meters closer a minute ago then came back."

"Oh. We need to get to the Factory."

"And find Ulrich." Jeremie and Aelita stood up. "Come on, Odd." Odd crawled up as well.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Jim marched over to them.

"Sorry, Jim we have to go." Aelita smiled sweetly, then the three took off.

"Wait!" Jim tried to run after them, but accidentally tripped over Azra Urgup and fell, hard, to the ground, landing on Theo Gauthier's leg.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie pulled his cell phone out and called Yumi. "Yumi, Xana's attacking." He tried to ignore the rain.

"Okay, we'll be there." She crammed the phone in her pocket while slowly inching out of her desk in Ms. Hertz's science class. "William, Alex, Xana's attacking."

"Okay, let's go." William nodded and the three all stood up.

"What are you three doing?" The trio completely ignored Ms. Hertz and sprinted out of the room, slamming the door behind them. "Get back here!" Ms. Hertz ran into the hallway and stood just outside the classroom, screaming at the three as students crowded around her. "No, go back inside!" She directed the students who had gathered at the door.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie called Ulrich next, but he didn't pick up. He then tried Sissi, who didn't answer either.

Sissi wandered through the woods, but not near the sewer entrance. She was looking for Ulrich, and she had every intention of finding him.

Lightning flashed in the sky. Thunder boomed loudly. The rain poured unrelentingly. The trio of sophomores made it to the sewer entrance. As Jeremie was climbing down, he slipped on the wet ladder rung and fell to the sewer floor below.

"Jeremie!" Aelita cried, clambering down the ladder to help him.

"Einstein!" Odd slid down the ladder and checked Jeremie's pulse and breathing. "He's okay. He's just knocked out." He lifted Jeremie bridal-style.

"Are you sure?" Aelita placed a hand on Jeremie's forehead, brushing the hair away.

"I'm positive." Odd nodded, and Aelita took his legs while Odd kept his arms. The two carefully carried him toward the Factory, making absolutely sure not to drop Jeremie.

-( ( • ) ) -

The trio of juniors arrived at the sewer entrance and climbed down with no incident, and got on their skateboards. With a few kicks, they were off.

The storm became more violent with high winds and merciless rain. Lightning flashes filled the sky with nearly deafening thunder, and Sissi began to give up. She turned and ran for the Academy.

The juniors caught up to the sophomores before too long, since Aelita and Odd were slowed by having to carry Jeremie. "What happened?" William demanded worriedly. The older three dismounted their skateboards.

"Jeremie slipped and fell off the ladder." Odd explained.

"Oh, so no Ulrich yet?" Yumi bit her lip. "I hope he's okay."

"I can carry him." Alex bent and lifted Jeremie onto his shoulder, and the six began to run.

-( ( • ) ) -

As the ladder to the Factory came into view, Jeremie began to stir and let out a yelp. Alex laughed a bit and set him down. "Feeling better?"

"My head hurts, but I should be fine." Jeremie rubbed the back of his head and pulled his hand back to see some dried blood had flaked off. "We have to hurry. If this storm is Xana's doing, it will only get worse. Sissi and Ulrich could be the targets."

They began to climb the ladder one by one. They started across the bridge when a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, revealing a silhouette facing the Factory entrance.

"Ulrich?" Yumi held her hand over her eyes to shield them from the rain. "Ulrich, are you okay?!" He turned around and walked to Yumi.

"I feel better than ever." His hand shot out and grabbed her by the throat, and the others began to run forward to try to save the Japanese girl. "You, however, are about to feel very bad." He punched her in the stomach, then tossed her to the ground. "Very, very bad." he snarled with a smirk.

"It's a specter!" Odd shouted as all five remaining Warriors tackled Ulrich to the ground. "What were you thinking, Xana, you know we won't fall for that!"

"I'm no specter." Ulrich launched himself into the air from under them, and landed on his feet. Odd let out a war cry and tried to tackle him again, but Ulrich swatted him away. "William, Alex, do you want to try me?"

"But, Xana can't possess you." William slowly walked toward Ulrich. "What are you doing, Ulrich?"

"William, you know the power. I'm sure you remember the power." Ulrich sparked with energy.

"But how? Xana can't possess you." Alex pulled a knife from his pocket and switched the blade out. "I'm not afraid to hurt you to protect Aelita and the others."

"He did something far better than a possession. You were fooled, Jeremie." Ulrich looked over at Jeremie. "It wasn't Franz." Xana's Eye formed on Ulrich's forehead. "It was never Franz Hopper." Ulrich cackled evilly.

"No, this is bad. This is very, very bad." Jeremie backed away slowly. "We need to run."

"What? But, what does he mean?" Aelita wasn't sure what he meant.

"It wasn't Franz. It wasn't Franz that upgraded him." Jeremie reached out and took Aelita's arm. "The blockade of monsters kept him from coming to Lyoko ever since Alex got back, it couldn't have been Franz since then. Xana tricked us." Jeremie was about to run away with Aelita when Alex jumped at Ulrich.

"Get to Lyoko!" The blonde tackled Ulrich to the ground and pulled the knife up. Ulrich reached up and stopped the knife by grabbing the blade, inches away from his neck, and wrenched it out of Alex's hand. William and Odd helped Yumi up and ran into the Factory, and Jeremie and Aelita rushed after them.

"What a pathetic weapon." Ulrich stabbed at Alex, who quickly got off of Ulrich and backed away. He stood threateningly as a flash of lightning struck the river about thirty meters away from the bridge. Ulrich flung the switchblade into the river. "You will lose."

"I might." Alex took his jacket off and flung it to the side, then took a shuto fighting position. "But not without a fight. You aren't the only one who knows some martial arts."

"This is no sparring match." The two lunged at each other, punching and kicking viciously.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie got off the elevator at the Control Room and hurried to the control panel. "Hurry!" He watched the doors close.

"This has to be a bad dream." Yumi rubbed her stomach in the spot where she had been punched. "Ulrich can't be Xana's pawn."

"We'll stop this, Yumi." Odd promised.

"We'll save him like you saved me." William put a supportive hand on Yumi's shoulder.

"Maybe." Yumi looked at the Scanner Room floor forlornly while she walked into the middle Scanner.

"Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Transfer Odd. Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, Scanner Odd, and virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Mountain Sector. "Transfer Aelita, Scanner Aelita, virtualization." The vehicles appeared at the same time as Aelita. "Head west, and as fast as you can! I don't know how long Alex will last against Ulrich and who knows what he did to Sissi!"

"We're going as fast as we can." Aelita swung a leg over the Overcycle as Odd got on the new and improved Overboard. It looked similar to the original, but black with transparent accentuation, and two craters to put the rider's feet in, plus two more small sliding hatches that held two more foot slots for a passenger. When Odd stepped on, a pair of purple goggles formed over his eyes and the foot slots locked around his feet, and purple light flowed through the transparent parts. The Warriors took off for the Tower at maximum speed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich threw a cross at Alex's face, but his opponent narrowly blocked it with a rising block and retaliated with a front-snap kick. Ulrich blocked it, but Alex twisted around and roundhouse kicked Ulrich in the side of his head. "How does it feel to be Xana's puppet?" Alex taunted.

"It feels pretty good." Ulrich lunged forward, pushing Alex down and punching him in the jaw on the way. Alex grabbed Ulrich's sides on his way down and flipped him off of him, but Ulrich landed on his feet. Alex got up quickly but Ulrich kicked him in the knee. "How does it feel to be so weak?"

"At least I'm my own man." Alex said with a wince. He tried to tackle Ulrich, but the brunette sidestepped and grabbed Alex by the neck, forcing him to face Ulrich.

"I'm a man, and you're a meaningless little boy compared to me." Ulrich snarled as he began to choke the blonde.

"I'm not a puppet like you." Alex lashed out with his foot and got Ulrich in his vulnerable spot. As he bent over in pain, Alex kneed his head. He went to do it again, but Ulrich grabbed his leg and pulled on it, flipping him onto his back. Ulrich pounced and started to punch viciously.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, the Warriors came to the activated Tower and the guards: the Dark Angel and two Dark Insekts. "Without Ulrich, this will be really hard." Yumi pulled her fans out.

"Maybe, maybe not." Jeremie's mind was calculating the past few weeks. "With Ulrich's upgrades, one would think he would have beaten any monster easily. But he always seemed to struggle."

"So?" William summoned his Zweihander.

"Ulrich was buying time for Xana. He would wait for Xana to do whatever it was he was doing before destroying the monster. Ulrich played us. Xana played us. We were fools." Jeremie took his glasses off and shook his head. "He's been Xana's pawn all this time."

"Well, this will still be easy." Odd shook his head.

"We can handle this." Aelita created an energy orb. "Energy Field!" She threw it at an Insekt and successfully destroyed it.

-( ( • ) ) -

On the bridge, Ulrich sprung away from Alex. "I'm done with these games." He glowed intensely, and was suddenly in a black version of his Lyoko outfit, still with the yellow accentuation.

"Hey, I can't do that." Alex backed away. "Afraid of losing to me in hand-to-hand? I thought you were a Pencak Silat black belt, what are you doing losing to a Shotokan blue belt?"

"I'm a winner." Ulrich walked towards Alex menacingly. "Unless you surrender to Xana and I. If you do that, you will be like me. There's always room for one more winner."

"Is that an option?"

"Of course. Join us. Get the true power that only Xana can offer."

"Well, that is tempting." Alex approached Ulrich. When they got close, Alex held his hand out, offering a handshake. Ulrich reached for it.

"Glad your upgrades, while lacking, made you smart enough to know it is pointless to fight me."

"Without a weapon." Alex kicked Ulrich and reached for the sword at Ulrich's waist. "I'm not much of a sword fighter, but I can probably hold you off."

"You had your chance, Alexandre." Ulrich drew his remaining saber. "Now I will be forced to kill you."

"You can try." Alex mocked, prompting a swing from Ulrich.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Aelita was throwing energy orbs at the last Insekt as fast as she could make them while Yumi, Odd and William went after the Dark Angel. "Hiya!" Yumi threw her fans and missed.

"Die!" William swung his Zweihander and the Dark Angel ducked. It battered William away using one of its black-feathered wings.

"Laser Claws!" Odd jumped on the Dark Angel's back and tore up its wings. He went to stab it in the Eye, but it reached up with its own claws and stabbed into him, devirtualizing him.

-( ( • ) ) -

Sissi burst out of the woods and looked around nervously. "I can't stay out in this weather with all these trees but I can't run across the campus..." She bit her lip nervously, then ran out, screaming all the way. Lightning crackled behind her just as she burst into the dorm building, only a few meters away from Sissi.

-( ( • ) ) -

Back on the bridge, Ulrich and Alex were swinging swords. Alex narrowly blocked a swing, and the two blades locked.

"I think we know which one of us is stronger." Alex smirked and pushed the blade, getting closer to Ulrich.

"But we also know which one of us has the power of Xana." Ulrich pushed back. Alex kicked Ulrich, pushing him back and breaking the lock. Ulrich tried to run Alex through in retaliation, but the blonde barely jumped out of the way. Ulrich's saber speared cleanly through one of the girders and landed in the concrete along the side of the bridge. Alex swung at Ulrich's back as he went by, but Ulrich moved at Super Sprint speeds and grabbed the blade. "I'll take that back." Alex backed away as Ulrich ripped the katana out of his hands.

"Ulrich, stop fighting." Alex put his hands up as Ulrich struggled to pull his other sword out of the bridge. _I can't take my chances here, if I attack, he'll stab me, unless I manage to shove him over the edge..._

"I'll kill you if you don't surrender before this sword comes out." Ulrich put a foot on the bridge and pulled as hard as he could, the sword beginning to come loose.

"Ulrich, I can't do that. Xana is evil. He kills people, just like you're threatening to kill me." Alex lunged to push Ulrich over the edge just as lightning struck the bridge.

"No!" Ulrich screamed as he reverted to his normal human form. The electricity conducted through the supports and girders, and into the sword where it finally conducted into Ulrich. A black mist burst out from Ulrich, sending him flying backwards into Alex, knocking them both down.

"Ow, ow, my eyes, ow, what happened?" Alex climbed off of the ground, trying to stumble away. He had no idea what had happened to Ulrich, or himself, for that matter. He just saw a flash of light, and his eyes couldn't adjust.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, William was charging his Zweihander as Yumi distracted the Dark Angel. "Hurry, William." She dodged a swing from the Dark Angel.

"I'm trying." William concentrated on his Zweihander and it glowed with purple, white and blue energy.

"William, you just lost thirty Life Points." Jeremie warned. His warning went ignored as William continued charging.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the Insekt as she sped toward it on the Overcycle. The monster fluttered to the side and the energy orb missed, but Aelita used the Overcycle as a missile and destroyed both the monster and the vehicle. She went rolling across the ground, but wasn't devirtualized.

-( ( • ) ) -

On the bridge, Alex's eyesight slowly returned. "Whoa," He was almost at the edge of the Factory entrance. "One more step and I would have been in for a surprise." He looked back and saw Ulrich laying in the rain. "I hope he's okay." Alex swung on the rope and walked over to the elevator, which had just been called down to the Scanner Room by the recently-devirtualized Odd. Alex sighed and ran for the other passage to the Control Room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich laid in the rain. The lightning strike had burned his skin. His heart and breathing had stopped. The black mist revealed itself and re-entered Ulrich, and tried to restart his heart. "Xana!" He sat up and grabbed at his chest as the black mist attempted to restart his heart. "Help, can't breathe!" He teared his shirt and scratched at his skin over his heart. "Xana!" The black mist attempted again, and this time it worked.

Ulrich slowly stood up and looked around, and noticed Alex's jacket at the other end of the bridge, soaked by rain. With Xana's powers and a cruel smirk, he morphed to appear like Alex did during their fight; bloody nose, torn shirt, messy hair. He walked across the bridge to get the jacket.

Odd came out of the elevator and looked around. "Gotta help Alex." He began to climb up the rope.

Ulrich picked up Alex's jacket and slung it around his shoulders just as Odd burst outside.

"Hey, Alex!" he called. "Where's Ulrich?"

"I threw him in the river." Ulrich's voice changed just like a specter's could change to reflect the person they were mimicking. "His sword got stuck in the bridge and he was vulnerable."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm perfect." Ulrich smirked as he walked to Odd.

"Jeremie said you'd be limping and needed help getting in. He said you got kicked in the knee and he saw it on the security camera."

"He didn't kick very hard." Ulrich stood next to Odd, whose phone rang. He pulled it out and answered.

"'Ello?"

"Odd! It's Jeremie, get away from him, fast!" Jeremie screamed into his headset.

"What? Who? Tell me what's going on." Odd looked at Ulrich suspiciously.

"That's not Alex, that's Ulrich, I watched him morph into Alex on the camera! Run for it!"

"Um, okay, I have him right here. Alex, it's for you." Odd held the phone out and grinned.

"Hello?" Ulrich answered sardonically.

"Alex, can you see the skyscrapers across from the Factory?"

"Um..." Ulrich turned to face away from the Factory, his back to Odd. "Yeah."

"Did one of them just get struck by lightning?" Jeremie asked, stalling as Odd silently backed into the entrance.

"No."

"Okay, um..."

"I'm giving the phone back to Odd now. You could have just asked him that question." Ulrich turned around to see Odd reaching for one of the ropes, trying to be silent. He growled and energy sparked around him, changing his appearance from Alex's Earth clothes to Alex's Lyoko avatar. "Lightspeed!" Ulrich shot like a bullet and tackled Odd before he could swing down the rope.

"No!" Odd cried out as he fell down the six-meter drop and landed with a sickening crack.

"It's over, scrawny." Ulrich pulled out one of Alex's blasters and aimed at Odd's chest. He pulled the trigger three times and three shots rang out. Ulrich turned and ran at Lightspeed to the passage to the Super Computer.

"Guys, hurry! Odd's not going to make it if you take much longer!" Jeremie cried. "Ulrich shot him three times!"

"What?!" Aelita looked at the sky and clenched her fists. "Where?!"

"The chest, it doesn't seem fatal right now but that won't matter if the Tower isn't deactivated, ASAP! I'm going to go put him in the Scanner and heal him, stay careful!" Jeremie warned as he sprinted to the elevator.

"On it!" Aelita noticed the Dark Angel lunge for Yumi. "Yumi, watch out!" Her warning came too late as it ran Yumi through with its claws. "Yumi can do it, you stay there." Aelita said with a sigh as she sprinted away from the Dark Angel, which turned toward her menacingly.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich tackled Alex just before he reached the Control Room. He stomped on Alex's chest, shattering his ribs, and took aim.

"What were you and Franz thinking when you went for this longcoat with your upgrades?" Ulrich mocked.

"It's cool." A bead of sweat ran down the side of Alex's head.

"It looks cool, but it's hardly efficient." Ulrich pushed his foot down harder, and Alex winced.

-( ( • ) ) -

"William, you lost another thirty Life Points! What are you doing?" Jeremie cried as he typed to scan Odd.

"Azalea Blade!" William's sword glowed purple, blue and white incredibly intensely and a glow formed around it. The aura lengthened, more than doubling the length the Zweihander actually was. He swung the Zweihander and the aura cut through the Dark Angel. "Aelita, hurry, before Odd...you know." William panted as he collapsed to his knees.

-( ( • ) ) -

"So that's how I look to the others?" Alex said with a forced smile, trying to stall Ulrich.

"Yeah, so?"

"Aelita was right, I am hot." Alex grinned, and Ulrich pushed down harder, crushing the blonde's chest. Alex let out a scream and managed to find the strength to swing his leg up and get Ulrich between the legs.

"What was that scream?" Jeremie got up and ran to the passage.

Aelita entered the Tower and began to float to the second platform.

"Ulrich, no!" Jeremie ran as fast as he could as Ulrich recovered from the kick.

"I'll make you pay for that, you little-" Ulrich cut himself off with a gunshot, and he fired three more times before Jeremie pushed him away.

"Tower deactivated. Return to the past now!" The white dome expanded, reversing time.

-( ( • ) ) -

The warriors minus Sissi were having a meeting in the Control Room. Both Odd and Alex rubbed their chest where they had been shot, feeling phantom pain.

"But why? Why would Xana hide it for this long?" Yumi held back tears.

"Because he's been using Ulrich to keep us from deactivating Towers and other things." Jeremie answered.

"But, he, he destroyed monsters. It doesn't make sense."

"Ulrich always took his time. Time for Xana to do what ever it was that he was doing. And he stopped us from destroying the Super Computer in Australia. But something must have happened." Aelita explained.

"Xana is winning." William looked at the screen. "He wouldn't have used his trump card unless he felt there was no way of stopping him."

"Maybe. Or he used it as a last resort. We can't be sure." Aelita held Jeremie's hand. "But he's been using Ulrich against us. We can't forgive him for that."

"What do we do?" Odd asked, still rubbing his chest while sitting against the Holomap.

"We keep fighting."

"But Ulrich is missing. We'll need a clone." Odd sat up.

"There's one problem." Alex watched the screen as Jeremie activated a Tower. "Who's going to tell Sissi? She's bound to wonder why we launched a return, and we can't bring a clone up to her and tell her to date it. She'd never even pretend to date a clone. They're so incredibly dumb. She's not going to want to pretend to date someone who acts so moronic." His voice became a low whisper. "As hypocritical as that may be."

"She's already going to be upset enough that Ulrich was Xanafied when he was dating her." William added.

"Then she can break up with the clone for the sake of public appearances and she'll eventually get over it. It's a simple thing to do." Jeremie said with a shrug.

"Do you think it will be that easy?" Odd stood up. "Yumi, you'll have to date it."

"What?!" Yumi barked, standing up quickly.

"It'll keep Sissi from getting desperate and dating the clone so she can feel good about herself, she'll end up hurt if that happens. And to make sure it works, I'll go after her to keep her from being too sad." Odd smiled at Aelita. "Don't worry, Princess. You'll still be the number one lady in my life, but if my charm keeps a friend happy..."

"Things are getting complicated. If we could find my father he might be able to help us." Aelita changed the subject when Jeremie squeezed her hand protectively.

"But he's on the internet. It could take years to find him. Its worse than finding a needle in a hay stack. It's like finding a needle in a hay farm." Jeremie took his glasses off and cleaned them. "It means a lot more work."

"It means a lot more fighting." Yumi walked to the elevator. "William? Maybe we should go find Sissi and tell her what's going on. She probably doesn't have her phone with her." He followed her and they left the Factory.

"Alex, let's go leave these lovebirds to the Super Computer and play some Z-Ramid." Odd said, and he and Alex waited for the elevator to come down.

"Wait for me to finish making the clone so you can take him with you." Jeremie pulled up a window showing a blank person in a T-pose that quickly morphed into Ulrich. Static in the shape of a human flickered by the elevator and formed into the Ulrich clone.

"Come on, Ulrich, we're going to bed." Odd patted the clone's back and gently pushed him toward the elevator.

"Where is bed?" The clone looked around.

"Just follow us." Alex assured the clone, and he pressed the button when it and Odd were on the elevator.

"Jeremie." Aelita put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If I had helped you instead of yelled at you, this wouldn't have happened." Jeremie reached up and grasped her hand in his. "I just want this nightmare to be over."

"I know Jeremie, I know." Aelita hugged Jeremie as a tear rolled down her cheek.


	24. Episode 145: Secret Life

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"emstrongA/N: /strongTo Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: know right! I really wish more people would review, I can see that a lot are reading but you're the only one who talks :( I would stronglove /strongto hear ideas, you totally could PM them to me if you want. That goes for anyone really. I love feedback!br /ememRead and enjoy, everyone :)/em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd was having a problem with the clone. The clone itself wasn't bad, but Sissi.../p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I know you're upset, but that's not the real Ulrich." Odd insisted, trying to close the door, but Sissi jammed her foot between the door and door jam./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I want to see him." Sissi tried to push the door open, but Odd was too strong for her. Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I know he's not real, but his scent, his touch, his voice..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm doing this for your own good." Odd gave one last push and managed to get the door closed long enough to lock it. "You need to go to your room and calm down."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'm not going anywhere." Odd could tell Sissi was on the verge of tears; her voice was shaky and she was obviously upset. He stood in the far corner and called Jeremie./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Jeremie, call Sissi and break up with her." Odd whispered, trying not to alert Sissi./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? Speak up." Odd hung up and up and began to type on the keypad of his phone./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"A few minutes later, Sissi's phone rang out. "Hello?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hello, Sissi." Ulrich's voice came through the phone. "I don't want to see you any more and you need to calm down. I'm just a clone, I can't like you the way you like me." Jeremie crossed his fingers, hoping he sounded convincing with the Super Computer's voice filters./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But, Ulrich, why won't Odd let you talk to me?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I am talking to you. I'm seeing Yumi now to keep up the act. Don't be hurt, maybe the real Ulrich, without Xana, still likes you." Jeremie hung up before Sissi could respond./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next day, Yumi and the Ulrich clone were holding hands and walking across the campus to the science building. "Come on! I'm tired of dragging you." Yumi slowed down a little as the clone dug its feet into the dirt. "Come on!" She yanked on its hand./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi was missing from lunch. She couldn't stand seeing Yumi and Ulrich together. Odd ate only one course, for once in his life, and left the cafeteria to find her. "Sissi?" She was walking into the woods./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave me alone!" Sissi walked faster, but Odd jogged after her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I'm sorry for what happened." He took her wrist in his hand. She tried to pull away, but Odd was too strong./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave me alone, Odd."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No." Odd kept his ground, forcing her to stay. "I thought you were over this. You ate breakfast with us and were talking and being all happy. What happened?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi held up her shirt, revealing a bruise. "Ulrich hit me before he betrayed us." Tears began to stream down her face. "You say it was Xana, but what if it wasn't? Ulrich said he was doing this on his own. What if it was really him who abused me?" Her eyes shone dimly as she looked vaguely into the distance./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What he did to you was wrong. Heck, even I'm mad at him. But I know Ulrich. He wouldn't do that. It was Xana. We'll make him pay, and we will win this war." Odd smiled at Sissi. "A pretty girl like you deserves better."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I...Odd, stop." Sissi pulled her hand away. "I just want to be alone."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You don't have to be. You have friends."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Sissi sighed. "I just need to be alone, okay? Maybe later."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay, later." Odd smiled as charmingly as he could before walking away. "Hopefully that will do it."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next couple of days, Milly and Tamiya were after Yumi and Ulrich. On one particularly rainy day, Milly finally caught up to the two, Tamiya in tow with her camera at the ready. She held her microphone out like a jousting lance as she charged right up to the Ulrich clone. "What happened? What made you decide to break up with Sissi? Yumi, why did you steal Ulrich away from Sissi?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Leave us alone!" Yumi pushed past Milly, dragging the clone behind her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""That sure was rude." The two turned around to see Alex leaning against a tree, avoiding most of the rain./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I agree! We were just asking some questions for the Kadic Newspaper. They could have answered a couple of them." Milly pouted./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex shook his head. "I meant you two." The young reporters looked away, crestfallen. "Leave them alone. You're freshmen in high school, now. You're old enough to see that it's time to stop focusing on one group of people just because they're the only group that's friends with you outside of your newspaper. Odd and Aelita, Jeremie and Patrick, Yumi and Ulrich, they all have other things to do than give you guys stories all the time./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard Emily LeDuc made seven three-point shots at the last girls' basketball game. Laura Gauthier won first place at the France Math Marathon and she's moving onto a competition for all of Europe. She might even go worldwide." Alex continued. "Just because other students don't hang out with you, that doesn't mean they don't do interesting things. Aren't there bigger stories at Kadic Academy than just our social group's lives?" Alex continued./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Like what? Nobody cares about a dumb basketball game or math competition. Sissi is the principal's daughter, so she's always big news. Her losing Ulrich to Yumi is a super scoop!" Tamiya chirped./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""If you insist on covering this one story, then fine. It's your paper. But who did she leave Ulrich for?" Alex raised a playful eyebrow as the corners of his lips curled slightly upward in his signature Mona Lisa-like half-smile./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, she left Ulrich?" Milly's jaw dropped. "But...who?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Just think about it." Alex pushed off of the tree and disappeared into the woods, leaving the two young reporters standing in the rain, discussing who might Sissi prefer over her Ulrich dear./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He's stupid." Tamiya decided./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah. Math Marathon, ha! Does anybody really give two craps about dumb old Laura Gauthier anymore?" Milly laughed as she and Tamiya walked back to the dorm rooms./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The next day, Odd saw Sissi going into the woods again. "Sissi!" She turned and smiled fakely./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Um, hi, Odd." She twirled her hair around her finger./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What's up?" He jogged up to her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard about you and Aelita before I joined the group." Sissi blurted, putting a look of confusion on Odd's face./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do you mean?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I heard you tell Sam, you know, black skater Sam, that you and her aren't really cousins. Before you guys told me."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Wait, what?" Odd wasn't expecting this, and it threw him off his pace. "What are you getting at, Sissi?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I accidentally told my dad, because it was bothering me and he could tell something was wrong. My father looked into it and confirmed it." She bit her lip, and the two were both visibly worried from the way their faces lacked a drop of color. "He knows she's living a secret life."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why are you telling me this? It doesn't matter if he hasn't done anything in the last few months, right?" Odd smiled painfully./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My dad wanted me to spy on you and Aelita. But you're my friends, aren't you?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd nodded, a bit of color coming back to his skin. "I told you that the other day when you ran off alone. You don't have to be alone. You have friends. That's why you're in the club." A bead of sweat ran down the side of his head. "But, um, as for me and Aelita, uh, how and why was your father able to confirm we aren't cousins?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""He said something about Franz Hopper being her grandfather and sending her here to find something he left behind." Sissi explained./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd bit his lip and focused to keep himself from laughing and from having a heart attack at the same time. He had to figure out what Mr. Delmas thought was going on. "So uh, they know about Franz Hopper? How about we take a walk and talk? Maybe we can come up with a plan to get your dad off our trails."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"As Aelita and Jeremie worked on the Super Computer, Patrick was following a GPS tracker. "Where the heck did he go?" Patrick stood on the streets of Boulogne-Billancourt outside of a boutique, lost. "East? No, west, south?" He turned and continued trying to follow the tracker./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xana activated a Tower in an unfamiliar Sector, formed shortly after the Twilight Sector. A black mist escaped the Super Computer Room and entered the wires, going through the city's electrical system to find Patrick./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"When the Super Scan beeped, Jeremie and Aelita closed the windows and wordlessly pulled their phones out to notify the team./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd heard his cell phone ring, but ignored it. "And they think Franz sent her here to find whatever it is he supposedly left behind?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Well, didn't he?" Sissi's phone rang next, but she too ignored it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, she was trapped in the Super Computer, remember? But, um, some of that is right. Don't tell anyone else, okay? I know you already know not to, but I'm making sure. Tell your dad that her grandfather met my family when he and his daughter were fleeing from the Russians, years ago..."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi answered her phone. "Xana's attacking? We'll be there." Yumi hung up and turned to her companion in the library. "William, Xana's attacking." She rubbed her temples./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you sure you're going to be okay?" William gently squeezed her arm./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""If emhe's/em there, then we'll have to fight him."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll be there for you, Yumi."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex answered his next. "Uh-huh? Right. Okay, see you soon." He turned off the phone, put on his jacket and left the weights he was using on the bench, all within a few seconds./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd and Sissi soon came to the Hermitage. "They said this old dump was Franz's old house. They wanted me to look through it sometime."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Don't bother, this is the Hermitage. Remember, I told you we stripped the place down looking for clues about Franz." Odd's phone rang again. "One second, Sissi." He answered the call. "Hello?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Xana's attacking, finish what you're doing, call Sissi and hurry to the Factory." Aelita immediately ended the call./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sissi, I'm sorry, it's an attack. That was Aelita letting us know."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Not your cousin. It explains all the kissing between you two." Sissi smiled vaguely./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I, her, not any more. The Princess and Einstein have something I couldn't break apart." Odd smiled back. "So, there is a place for someone else in my life. Anyway...let's go." Odd led her to the sewer entrance at the Hermitage./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Xanafied Patrick arrived at the Factory and waited for any Lyoko Warriors to come./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi and William were the first to arrive and see Patrick. "Xana's possessed someone." Yumi took William's wrist, relieved./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""At least he didn't send Ulrich. Alex and Odd were lucky to survive those bullet wounds long enough to launch a Return." William walked toward Patrick threateningly. "Xana, come on."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""My old host. If I had done to you what I've done to Ulrich Stern, I would rule the world by now." Patrick's distorted voice promised./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yeah, but they saved me and beat you, and we'll do it again." William held his fists up./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""William, don't get hurt." Yumi darted into the Factory as the two prepared to fight./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd hurried to the Factory through the sewers. Sissi had lost track of him, but he knew she could find her way to the Factory. He needed to get there as fast as he could to help Aelita, and Sissi could help when she arrived./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie saw Yumi in the Scanner Room on the security camera. "Yumi! Where's William?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Fighting Patrick."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh, well, I already sent Aelita. Get in a Scanner." Yumi stepped into the left Scanner. "Transfer Yumi, Scanner Yumi, and virtualization." Yumi landed in the newest Sector next to Aelita./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hello, Yumi."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, is this another one of Xana's new Sectors?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yes." Aelita made a vague gesture to bring Yumi's attention to the various floating rock platforms with virtual dirt on the bottom. The sky was blue and serene, as was the Digital Sea below. Green grass and small clumps of vegetation decorated the landscape, and various marble structures were scattered about. Trees grew in some places, their roots hanging out of the bottom of the dirt on the underbelly of each platform. Yumi could see some kind of digital temple off in the distance on one of the larger platforms with a large green orb pulsing at the top. She could see a waterfall by another platform with a small pond by it. Thin green wires, no thicker than a hair, hung from the platforms, some dangling over the Digital Sea, some connecting the floating chunks of earth. They seemed to all go back to the temple./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I like this Sector." Yumi smiled. "So, are we the only ones?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd and Alex should be coming."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh. If Patrick beats William, they might have to fight him."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Patrick? Well, at least Xana didn't send-"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi stopped Aelita. "I know. At least he didn't send Ulrich." She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Jeremie, are you sending the vehicles? It'd be hard to get from platform to platform without them."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""On it. Hope these two work for you." The Overbike and Overwing formed by a crumbled marble pillar./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick slammed William to the ground. "Ulrich is my ultimate soldier. They will never make it past him." Patrick stood on William's chest, pinning him to the ground./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Get off of!" A combat boot roundhouse kicked Patrick in the temple, causing him to stagger and fall. William grabbed his leg and pulled as Alex regained his balance from the sloppy technique. "I need to find a dojo in this city...I've been getting out of practice since that fight with Ulrich." he breathed. Odd pushed the sewer cover open and saw the situation./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Go! You're better on Lyoko!" William commanded as he pounced on Patrick and started to grapple with him./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Jeremie heard the elevator running and soon saw Odd and Alex getting off and into the Scanner Room. "Scanner Odd, Scanner Alex. Transfer Odd, Transfer Alex. Virtualization." They landed in the new Ruins Sector./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whoa." Alex looked around. "Weird."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I like it." Odd smiled./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You're pretty close to the ladies, they're just two platforms to the north. You aren't far from the Tower, either."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Got it." Odd leapt onto the Overboard and Alex climbed onto the Overcycle, and the two flew onto the next platform and across it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Patrick threw William off of him and stood. "They are going to see how useless it is to resist."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""They won't give up." William wiped blood from his chin./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""It doesn't matter. My true attack is already going through as planned. Soon it will be mine and I will be one step closer to controlling this planet."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What will be yours?" William backed away./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You will find out when you are a slave." Patrick lunged at William once more./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"The Lyoko Warriors finally came to the Tower and its guardian knight./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich." Yumi held her chest where her heart would be beating if she were on Earth. "Aelita, you have to stay back." She looked Ulrich over. He wore black now, but the lining and accentuation was still the same yellow-orange, a color scheme like his doppelganger's from long ago. The Eye of Xana replaced the sun tattoo emblazoned on his chest. His hair was darker, his skin paler, and his brown eyes were tainted with hints of red. He drew both of his sabers, and they were longer, wider, and had black veins moving from the handles up into the blood-red blades./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We'll take care of him." Odd sped up on the Overboard and glanced at Yumi to see her reaction to to seeing Ulrich. "Yumi, I'll handle him. Keep the Princess safe."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Thank you." Yumi turned the Overbike to come next to Aelita./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll annihilate this traitor." Alex growled, green energy crackling up his arms, body and neck, surrounding his eyes like electric green flames. He turned toward Ulrich and disengaged the helmet and leg locks with the press of a button. The Overcycle's inertia kept it going even though green energy no longer pulsed through it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Alex, no, you're insane!" Aelita warned as he connected his pistols./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Die!" He stood up and jumped off, bringing the Plasma Whip down at Ulrich. Green electricity crackled around him and a similar green trail followed him as he used both Lightspeed and Electrokinesis to protect himself./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Not today." Just as Alex swung downward, Ulrich slashed his red blades, sending two equally red crescents of energy out. The crescents overtook the whip and continued forward, slicing through Alex's protective electric field and reducing him to a blue wireframe as the whip barely grazed Ulrich's face./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Damn it." Alex pounded a fist against the Scanner wall as soon as he returned to Earth./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""One down, three to go." Ulrich taunted Odd./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, Ulrich. Nice duds." Odd sprung off of the Overboard and landed near him. "But I don't think those colors suit you."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Odd." Ulrich swung his swords in a warning gesture. "I'll destroy all of you as Xana gets one step closer to taking over the world."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Hey, that's a good plan, but you forgot to let me know first. I'm going to have to go with my plan and beat you." Odd aimed a paw at Ulrich. "Laser Arrow!" He fired several, but Ulrich blocked them all./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Odd, you are too slow and too weak." Ulrich crouched. "Super Sprint!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shield!" Odd was just fast enough to block Ulrich's advance. "Laser Claws! Laser Arrow!" Ulrich couldn't block the first two claw swipes, but he sprung away in time to avoid the Laser Arrows. "Not so big and tough now, are you?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I don't need to be big to be powerful." Ulrich looked up to see Yumi with Aelita above the fight. "Hello, Yumi." He crouched, ready to attack./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yumi, watch out!" Odd tried to hit Ulrich with a Laser Arrow, but was too slow as Ulrich vaulted into the air, swords aimed at Yumi./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ulrich, no!" He tackled her off of the Overbike. She landed, hard, on the green grass below as Ulrich climbed onto the Overbike./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I missed this." Ulrich revved the engine and flew toward Aelita./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" She threw an energy orb and began to climb upward, but Ulrich dodged it effortlessly and pursued./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Aelita, run!" Odd fired Laser Arrows at Ulrich, but he dodged on the Overbike./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Energy Field!" Aelita threw another one when Ulrich was closer, but he was still able to dodge it. When he got even closer, she disengaged the Overwing and allowed her body to fall off the back of her vehicle. She activated her wings just in time to avoid devirtulization from the immense drop./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Too slow, Aelita!" Ulrich aimed a sword and it began to glow red as he prepared to fire an energy beam. It was an attack like the one he had when Xana took over his mindless body to destroy Carthage, not long before taking William as a slave back then./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No!" Yumi threw one of her fans and hit the Overbike from behind. As it dematerialized, Ulrich turned around in midair and swung his sword, sending a retaliatory energy crescent out. Yumi flipped onto a crumbled pillar, dodging it, and threw another fan./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"On the bridge, Patrick was beating William badly. "You know, William, you could surrender peacefully. With two warriors under my control, I will be even more powerful than before."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I would never surrender to you, Xana!" William backed away. "I hate you and everything you made me do!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Why? I made you strong, fast, intelligent. I made you more than anything you could become on your own."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You made me fight my friends. You made me hurt Yumi." William continued backing away, trying to keep from being beaten again./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Pitiful excuses. Now stop running and fight me!" Patrick was about to lunge at William, who tripped and fell backwards. William closed his eyes in fearful anticipation of the tackle that never came. He opened them again to see Sissi swing her purse at a fallen Patrick, and he assumed she had knocked him over with a first swing./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Oh man." William got up and approached Sissi when he saw Patrick wasn't moving. "You knocked him out cold. What do you have in that purse?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stuff." Sissi said with a shrug. The two ran into the Factory and took the elevator down to the Control Room./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Are you okay, William? Sissi?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll be okay." William panted./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Patrick is out cold, so if Aelita is fast enough, we can get out of here so no return is needed." Sissi explained as William sat down and rested to calm his spinning head./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Ulrich charged both swords and continued to slash them, firing a constant barrage of energy crescents at Yumi. She flipped and twirled, dodging one after the other./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Aelita saw her chance and dove for the activated Tower, but Ulrich noticed. "I don't think so, Aelita." He launched one more energy crescent at Yumi before turning. "Super Sprint!" He ran for the front of the Tower./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shield!" Odd jumped in front of Ulrich and used his shield to block the oncoming Xana Warrior. They bounced off of each other and tumbled across the large platform with the Tower on it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Stop!" Yumi flung her fans at Ulrich. He rolled back on his shoulders and used his hands to launch himself into the air. He swung his swords, cutting through the fans and dematerializing them. He threw a sword at Odd, and it cut through his Shield, devirtualizing him. Ulrich cackled evilly as Aelita ran into the Tower./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Yumi, you were a foolish girl." Ulrich mocked as he sheathed his remaining saber./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What? Shut up, Ulrich! I wasn't made Xana's slave!" Yumi defended herself as she telekinetically picked up a rock./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Slave? I can do what I want. I don't have to be here defending the Tower. I could be at school. I could still be a Lyoko Warrior."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""No, you're lying!" Yumi brought the rock above Ulrich's head./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What reason do I have to lie?" Ulrich walked slowly to Yumi as the Tower's aura faded to blue behind him. "I thought about using my powers to woo you, but it was more fun playing with Sissi. She was so easily manipulated, so easy to hurt."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Shut up, Ulrich!" She dropped the rock, but he instantly pulled out a sword and cut it in half, and the halves fell harmlessly to his sides. "We know you abused her, you monster! We'll beat you, and I will hurt you if I have to!"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""You can't hurt me. You used to be able to. It hurt when you said you just wanted to be friends. I wanted to say no, to say 'Yumi, we should be more than friends,' but I couldn't. So many times I wanted to say 'Yumi, stop this act,' but I never could. But once we beat Xana, I thought we would finally be able to be more." Ulrich sneered. "But you always had William with us. We could never have alone time."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I, Ulrich, I wanted you to say something! I wanted you to be the one to ask me. It's how it's done in Japan. It's not proper for a girl to ask the guy."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Whatever. It doesn't matter." Ulrich turned to see Aelita come out of the Tower. "Good job, Aelita. But what will happen when Xana keeps these weaklings from making it to Lyoko?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll beat you by myself." Aelita hissed as she clenched her hands into fists. "And free you from Xana."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Ask Yumi all about that." Ulrich turned into a black mist and shot off of the platform and through the air into the Digital Sea as Jeremie rematerialized the remaining two Warriors./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Yumi immediately ran out of the Factory, and William chased after her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Is she okay?" Aelita watched her sprint down the bridge./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll tell you later, Princess. But right now, we have a bigger problem." Odd and Sissi began to retell the conversation they had in the woods earlier./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""What do we do?" Aelita looked to Jeremie for guidance on the issue of Mr. Delmas' snooping./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I think we need to give her a story, I already gave her a rough draft. We can throw her dad off."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But what story?" Jeremie cut in./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""We tell him what he already thinks he knows. That Aelita is Franz's granddaughter. Except in our story, Franz met my family years ago and that's how Aelita and I know each other. He is fleeing the Russian KGB, but sent Aelita back to find something he left behind. She doesn't know what it is or where it is since her father can't call her because of something. I haven't decided what."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Too poor to pay to keep phone service?" Sissi offered./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Alex shook her head. "No, that wouldn't work. He could use a payphone with just a few cents. Nobody is emthat/em poor for that long without dying from starvation because they can't afford food."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Unless he could have stolen the food or panhandled it." Sissi replied./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""But by the same token he could have gotten some money as well to call. Besides, how could Aelita have phone service if he doesn't? Who'd be the one who pays for it, or at least who would we tell him pays for it? We obviously can't tell him that we had to create fake money for Aelita's bank account to pay for her things."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""The government is watching him? Another reason why he sent me away?" Aelita suggested./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"Odd smiled. "Great idea, Princess. So the government doesn't know where you are. That should keep him off our trail."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Or at least get them away from the Factory." Jeremie looked at the camera above them that kept watch over the bridge. "Aelita, we'll have to be very careful. We can't be followed by them, or any one else." He looked over at Patrick, who was still knocked out on the bridge. "But Alex, can you carry Patrick back to my room and set him on his bed?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Sure." Alex scooped Patrick up and set him over his shoulder, and pulled off the sewer cover in the middle of the bridge. "I'm going this way to avoid looking suspicious." Alex explained to Sissi, who gave him a quizzical look. He managed to get down the ladder with one hand and both feet, and he took off./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"-( ( • ) ) -/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;"As Alex was carrying Patrick, an object fell out of the unconscious cousin of Jeremie's pocket. "What's this?" Alex bent to pick it up and turned it on. "GPS tracker?" He looked in the direction the tracker said the beacon was. "Factory." He set Patrick down and pulled his phone out. "Jeremie, Patrick has a GPS tracker and it points to the Factory. It might be connected to something on your clothes, he might have put it in while you where asleep."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""I'll get rid of it."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14.08px;""Okay." Alex picked Patrick back up and flung the tracker into the sewer water beside him./p 


	25. Episode 146: War Between Worlds

_**A/N: **To Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: I can't wait to see what you have :)  
Enjoy, everyone, and please review! I love hearing what you guys think._

Aelita was in the library with Milly and Tamiya. They had kept annoying her for an interview, so finally, she caved in. "So, um, what do you want to know?" Aelita smiled at the camera.

"What is with you and Odd? Or Jeremie? Which is it? Aren't you and Odd cousins? Reports say you've been kissing him." Milly demanded, shoving the microphone in Aelita's face.

"That...I thought you two wanted to know about my music and concerts." Aelita frowned nervously.

"Later, but as long as we have you, we can fill our local section." Tamiya explained as she adjusted the lens a bit.

"Like when you filled it with that picture of Yumi?" Aelita accused, to which Milly and Tamiya nodded carelessly, still grinning. "That wasn't very nice, you shouldn't be smiling."

"A story is a story. Now, are you dating Odd or Jeremie?"

"Jeremie, I, I've never dated Odd nor will I ever. He's my cousin." Aelita blurted, wanting to get away from anything so...personal. "Want to hear about the back area of a concert? All the roadies setting things up and the food or something?"

"But we've gotten several sources who claim you've kissed Odd. One or two people we might be able to deny, but that poor girl what's-her-face broke up with Odd because of it. If you didn't kiss him then why did she go and-"

Aelita cut the two off. "Want to know why the Subdigitals changed their name?"

"What? No one knows why they changed their name." Tamiya squinted at Aelita suspiciously.

"Oh, really? Not even, say, a DJ that the leader of the band says is the future of music?" Aelita smiled as Milly fumbled to get a notepad from her cardigan pocket and began to write.

"He really said that you're the future of music?" Milly stammered, to which Aelita nodded. "Wow, um, the name change, though. Why did they change their name?"

"It's simple, really. But I don't know if I should tell you."

"Please? We'll do anything you want!" Milly pleaded. She and Tamiya both began to beg.

"Please? This is a huge scoop!" Tamiya clasped her hands together, throwing the angle of her small camera with its strap around her hand off.

"Well, you'll be the first ones to report this. You might get a lot of attention from other media."

"We'll keep our source a secret. We always do."

"Well, the reason they changed their name was they were doing music for a TV show. When the show was going to be aired in my home country, Canada, there was a band already named the SubSonics. So they had to change their name to allow the TV show to air in Canada."

"Wow, that's a super scoop!" Tamiya exclaimed with a grin as she realigned the camera.

"No, Tamiya, that's an epic scoop!"

"And if you want stuff for the local section, did you know Jim used to be a roadie for the Subdigitals when they were first starting out?" Alex said in a hushed tone behind the two, causing the reporters to whip around, startled.

"Really?" Both reporters leaned in, and Milly once again shoved the microphone up to someone's mouth, this time Alex.

"Really. He helped carry their equipment in his truck and even found them a manager before moving on to another job when the road life got too hard."

"Wow. What else did he do?"

"You'd have to ask Jim. But I bet there's lot of juicy stuff on Chris, Ben and Nico. If you find Jim, you might be able to do a whole paper on just his stories from before the Subdigitals became famous and you could upload the interviews to the school website." Milly and Tamiya sprinted away to find the teacher, and Alex leaned back against the wall with a grin. "That should keep them busy for a few weeks."

"Thanks." Aelita giggled.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie was working alone in the Factory. He and Aelita had a schedule, and made it so one would work while the other dealt with school. Then they would switch, so they wouldn't fall behind, or at least not too far, on homework and other school projects.

"This should work. But we'll need the Skid." Jeremie entered a final line of code, then saved the program. "It's dangerous. If I mess this up, I might lose a friend."

"Einstein, talking to yourself isn't a good thing." Jeremie turned to see Odd holding four bags with a stylized M on the front, and four drinks.

"I didn't hear the elevator."

"I didn't take it. Wanted to see what you did for us." Odd set the food down. "And give you a break."

"I just finished a program."

"Well, is there anything I can do?"

"It's okay, Odd. Thanks for the food, but I can't eat all of this." Jeremie looked disdainfully at the food, but Odd laughed. "What?"

"Of course not. I'm eating with you." Odd pulled three of the bags towards himself possessively.

"Wow. As if one McDonalds meal wasn't unhealthy enough." Jeremie pulled out a burger and took a bite as he watched Odd down two burgers within twenty seconds.

-( ( • ) ) -

Later that day, Odd and Jeremie called the others to the Factory. "Aelita and I have been working on a way to Translate you to places without being at a Replika."

William raised his hand. "Why?"

"So you can get parts to build another Super Computer and to save Aelita's mother. The next step is finding a way to Translate you without going to Lyoko. It'd be helpful if you could activate your Lyoko form while on Earth to fight Xana's attacks off." Jeremie loaded up the new program. "We still need the Skidbladnir but this is just a step away from what our goal is."

"Okay, and?" Sissi prompted him to continue.

"We need a volunteer."

"I'll do it!" Odd jumped forward.

"Not you, Odd." Jeremie shook his head. "You, Alex and Aelita will be needed on Lyoko to deactivate any Towers, and Sissi has to come with you to heal Aelita if she gets hurt. The others who don't go will stay and protect the Skid."

"Then I'll do it." William stepped forward. "I'm still the weakest warrior on Lyoko with the least experience. I'm new and I'm not upgraded."

"You're not weak." Yumi put a hand on his shoulder, then pulled it away, shaking her head. She whispered something to herself, but nobody heard it.

"It _is _dangerous, William. If something bugs, up we might not be able to fix you, or you may be stuck between Lyoko and Earth in limbo. And if it does work, it might be hard to explain your outfit at school if we can't send you back."

"Just create a clone." Alex glanced at the monitor, but Jeremie shook his head.

"One clone is one too many. We can't keep making clones. If Xana were to possess one, or both, we'd be in even more trouble."

"Then I'll say it's a new fashion trend." William smiled just thinking about it.

"At any rate, we need to test this out as soon as possible. If nothing goes wrong, I'll keep working on it so the Skid isn't needed, and eventually, so the Scanners aren't needed."

"I'm ready." Odd jumped to the elevator.

"What if Xana attacks? Or Ulrich does?" Yumi watched the map of Lyoko rotate, trying to keep the desolation out of her voice.

"Then you have to fight him." Jeremie said simply, obviously not understanding Yumi's dilemma. "But once William is back, you can all go back to Kadic." Jeremie turned to the control panel as the rest piled into the elevator.

"Don't worry, Yumi, we'll deal with him." Alex put a supportive hand on her shoulder when he noticed her shake.

"You don't have to go." Odd tried to soothe her.

"I have to. I'm a Lyoko Warrior. It's what I told him in Australia." Yumi whispered.

-( ( • ) ) -

The elevator stopped and the Warriors stepped off and went to the Scanners, one by one. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer Aelita, Transfer Odd. Scanner Yumi, Scanner Aelita, Scanner Odd. Virtualization." They landed in Sector 5 near the Skid. "Transfer William, Transfer Alex, Transfer Sissi. Scanner William, Scanner Alex, Scanner Sissi. Virtualization." The next three landed near the first. "Once you're in the Skid, you'll have to fly to the Forest Sector and link to the Way Tower there."

"Okay, Jeremie." Aelita and the others stepped on the platforms, leaving Ulrich's pedestal empty. Soon they Energized into the Skid, and Aelita took the controls and flew out of the hangar. She piloted the craft to the nearest tunnel and waited for Jeremie to open it.

"The Mantas are hatching." Yumi watched the Mantas begin to push through the binary walls of Sector 5 with a sickening crunching sound.

"Jeremie, can we go through?" Aelita hovered near the tunnel opening anxiously as lasers began to pummel the Skid's shields.

"In three, two, and one." The tunnel opened and Aelita flew the Skidbladnir through, where the stream of data once flowed. The tunnel closed, trapping the Dark Mantas in Sector 5.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jim sat at a computer in the computer lab. "Franz, Franz, Franz. Nothing past 1995. What happened?" He began to read some newspaper headlines. "Schaeffer? Wait, Antea Schaeffer disappears, husband suspected? His last name was Hopper."

"Jim?" Milly tapped Jim's shoulder. He was so enthralled with his research, he never heard Milly and Tamiya come into the lab.

"Uh, what is it?" Jim closed the screen and turned in his chair.

"Is it true you were a roadie for the Subdigitals before they became famous?" Milly held the microphone to his face and Tamiya inched closer with her camera.

Jim covered the lens with his hand. "I'd rather not talk about it. I'm busy right now, you two need to go play elsewhere. Except the garden shed. I know you like to break into there, so don't."

"Come on, Jim! Everyone loves the Subdigitals! Anything about them is big news! We could dedicate an entire paper to you!" Milly shoved the microphone ever closer. "Please?"

"I, well, this was a long time ago, you two. Before anybody ever knew about them. Why, I remember a time we were setting up in some dive bar for an amateur night. Well, I don't know if you want to hear about it, 'cause like I said, it's way before they became famous."

"That makes it even juicer!" Milly shrieked, refusing to leave Jim alone.

"Tell us Jim!" Tamiya begged.

"Well, I have time, I guess. One time…"

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita soon came to the Way Tower, recognizing it by its pale blue aura, and flew the Skidbladnir up next to it. When she docked with it, Jeremie sent everyone but William to the Forest Sector below.

"Okay, William, are you sure you're ready? You don't have to do this." Jeremie was clearly nervous. If this worked, it was probably only a few days' worth of work to make it work without the Skidbladnir anywhere in the world. If it bugged up, William could be hurt, or even killed.

"I'm ready. Where are you sending me?"

"Here. But like with the Replika, you probably won't land right on top of us." Jeremie explained as he loaded the program.

William disappeared from the Skidbladnir. "William?" Jeremie recieved no response. "William, can you hear me?" Jeremie checked the program. "Nothing bugged up. It worked. William, can you hear me?"

"Wow." William's voice finally came through, prompting Jeremie to sigh with relief.

"Where are you?"

"On the bridge." William looked down at himself. "I look cool." He pulled his Zweihander out from a puff of silvery smoke. "I could probably get the parts just by waving this around and asking for them." He swung it twice, then allowed it to dissipate again.

"Jeremie, pulsations." Aelita's warning came mere seconds before the Super Scan appeared with the activated Tower.

"Be careful. Xana may be trying to destroy the Skid." Jeremie looked at the screen. "Yumi, stay at the Skid. Odd, Alex, Sissi and Aelita, head for the Tower." Jeremie ordered as the vehicles formed. Odd hopped on the Overboard as Aelita climbed onto the upgraded Overbike and Alex onto the Overcycle, with Sissi on the Overwing.

The new Overbike was relatively the same as the old save for the new sleek black coloring with thin white tubing around the wheel, exhaust and windshield. As the other vehicles did, when Aelita stepped on, a sleek onyx helmet formed around her head with pink accentuation, and matching pink energy flowed through the white tubing.

"Where is it?" Aelita breathed.

"Go north, y'can't miss it."

"I hate it when Einstein says that." Odd sent the Overboard speeding forward with Aelita, Sissi and Alex behind him.

-( ( • ) ) -

William looked into the Factory. "Jeremie, I could help them if you brought me back." He eyed the Factory floor, wondering if he'd be devirtualized, or detranslated, if he jumped down, or have Lyoko physics on Earth and land painlessly.

"Okay, wait, no!" A red exclamation point came up on Jeremie's screen. "Bugs. William, hang in there."

"Don't have anything else to do." William glanced around, but didn't notice a black mist appearing behind him on the bridge. He also didn't notice it form into his old rival.

"Hello, William." the old rival sneered. William turned around to see Ulrich.

"Jeremie, we have a friend here." William warned cautiously.

"Friend?" Ulrich smiled wickedly. "I don't know if you'd consider me a friend. After all, we were fighting for the same girl." Ulrich stepped forward and William took a step back, almost going over the edge.

"I, it...it wasn't a fight. I never stood a chance. Yumi still..." William stopped. "She still doesn't hate you."

"Of course not. She's a girl and I have power over any girl." Ulrich sparked with energy. "But Yumi wouldn't have been as much fun as Sissi. Sissi already wanted to be with me. She was like putty in my hands. I could have her do anything I wanted without having to use my powers much."

"You mean Yumi was too strong willed for you to affect." Silver and black mist began to form around William's hand.

"Do you think you're fast enough?" Ulrich sneered, and William froze.

"No, but I have to try." William backflipped over the edge and formed his Zweihander as he fell, landing on his feet.

"Clever." Ulrich pulled his own sabers out and leapt off the edge after William. "But it won't do you much good."

William pulled his Zweihander up and blocked Ulrich's slices. He spun and swung his Zweihander like a bat, but Ulrich leapt away. "You're too slow, William. I could destroy you before you blinked."

"But you haven't, so I'm calling your bluff." William held the blade in front of him and it began to glow a variety of blue, purple, white and black.

"Bluff? No, Triplicate." Ulrich split apart. "You're dead. Triangulate!" The three Ulrichs ran around William in a triangle pattern, trying to confuse him.

"I'll take you with me." William continued charging his Zweihander, ignoring Ulrich and his clones.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, the quartet soon made it to the activated Tower and the Dark Angel.

"No Ulrich? I hope he isn't going after Yumi." Odd murmured.

"She'll have to deal with it, Odd." Alex stated flatly, causing Sissi to frown. Though she wouldn't say it, she certainly would rather Ulrich go after Yumi than herself.

"As hard as it is for her." Aelita added while looking around for any other monsters.

"Stay back, Princesses. We'll deal with this pest." Odd dove on the Overboard at the Dark Angel. "Laser Arrow!" He fired them at the Dark Angel, which reflected them easily with his blades.

"Lightspeed!" Alex sprung from the Overcycle and dashed past the Dark Angel in a loop, firing a spray of bullets before remounting his vehicle. Though many hit, none managed to hit the Eye of Xana, so the monster lived. When Odd was close enough, he sprung from the Overboard, which continued on its path like a missile. Unfortunately for him, the Dark Angel clapped its hands together and caught the Overboard between them.

"Did you think that would work?" the monster sneered.

"I was kind of hoping it would." Odd landed near the Dark Angel. "Could I have it back and try again?"

"I think not." The Dark Angel flipped itself onto the Overboard, laying on its stomach, and took off into the air, hovering after Aelita, flapping its wings for added speed.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at the Dark Angel, missing with each shot.

"Get back here!" Alex snarled, aiming carefully and destroying the Overboard with a well-placed bullet.

"You killed my baby!" Odd whined as he continued to try to shoot the monster, still flying though at a slower pace, down.

"Got any more babies?" Alex said in a low, venomous tone and a small smirk. As the board dematerialized, the Dark Angel dove at Aelita, using its wings to continue flying, though at a slower rate.

"Princess!" Odd cried.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw the plasma orb, but missed the Dark Angel. She leapt off of the Overbike and passed her hand over her bracelet to make her wings appear.

"Drain!" Sissi shrieked, flinging herself off of the Overwing and latching onto the Dark Angel. Though she managed to take a good chunk of Life Points, she was soon devirtualized.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Earth, William glared at Ulrich, his blade shining intensely, much more so than before. "Ulrich, you played too long."

"Why is that?" Ulrich sneered.

"Azalea Blade! Rosetta!" William's response was accompanied by his swinging of his charged Zweihander, but not at Ulrich; Ulrich was too fast for him. The ceiling, however, could not dodge. When the energy blade hit the ceiling, it started to collapse.

"What have you done!?" Ulrich and his clones began to panic, screeching to a halt and looking around in terror.

"I'll be back in the Skid, what about you?" William said sardonically and waved goodbye as a large piece of the ceiling collapsed directly on top of him.

"William?" Jeremie saw his ID Card flash. "William? What was that?" He could feel the Factory shake, and Sissi, who was looking over his shoulder, let out a squeal. "William!"

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Aelita was flying towards the activated Tower when the Dark Angel leapt in front of her. "Energy Field!" The Dark Angel dodged it.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at the Dark Angel and it dodged again. "Come on, fight me hand to hand, why don't ya?"

"I will destroy you."

"Then prove it." Odd took a fighting stance.

"As you wish." The Dark Angel lunged at Odd, claws outstretched.

"Shield!" Odd let himself fall backwards and used the shield to bounce the Dark Angel near the edge of the Sector.

"Not good enough." The Dark Angel had just begun to pull itself back up when Alex on the Overcycle ran over it, destroying it.

"Never seen roadkill explode before." Alex muttered. With that, Aelita flew to the activated Tower and entered it.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi held her fans out, ready for any monsters to kill. When she heard a knocking noise, she looked up at the Skidbladnir to see William waving at her. "William's back?" Then William pointed at something behind her, eyes wide. When she turned around, she found Ulrich walking towards her.

"Hello, Yumi."

"Ulrich, stay back." Yumi held her fans in front of her as she backed away.

"I'm not here to fight you." Ulrich pulled his swords out, then flung them to either side of him, where they stuck in trees. "I'm here to bring you to the winning side."

"No, I won't join you." Yumi pulled back her arms to throw her fans.

"I will find a way to convince you." Ulrich continued to walk towards Yumi. A type of energy began to radiate from him, barely visible as a simple wave slightly distorting the area. It wasn't energy from Xana, but a different kind, and Yumi could feel it start to affect her.

"No, stop it, Ulrich." Yumi threw a fan, but Ulrich simply swatted it away.

"Why? It makes you feel good, doesn't it? This is the power I feel all the time, but a million times over. You could have it."

"I don't want it."

"Want it? I could make you want it, want me. When I was on Earth, do you know how easy it would have been for me? I could have made you do anything I wanted, and made you think you wanted to do it." Ulrich's smile sent chills into Yumi. "I bet your energy would feel different."

"Shut up, Ulrich." Yumi backed away, throwing her remaining, but he deflected it with a swat of his hand.

"Jeremie!" William pounded his fists on the glass, wanting to protect Yumi. "Send me out there!"

"William, what happened?"

"I destroyed the Factory to destroy Ulrich, launch a return or something! Just hurry!" William panicked as he continued to hit the glass.

"Got it." Jeremie began to type on the control panel. "Return to the past now!" The white bubble expanded out, reversing time.

-( ( • ) ) -

William stood at the gate to Yumi's house with his backpack on his shoulder. "Yumi?" He could see her in the window, but she wasn't facing him. He pulled out his phone to call her, but she didn't pick up. "Come on, Yumi." He opened the gate and walked to the door. After knocking it, Hiroki opened it.

"Who are you?" Hiroki demanded, squinting at him suspiciously.

"A friend of your sister's. She wanted to do some homework together." William pulled a math textbook from his bag as proof.

"Well, she's in her room." Hiroki stepped aside, letting William in. "Wait, take your shoes off." And take them off William did, leaving him in his socks.

"Thanks for reminding me." William said with a nod. He quietly approached the stairs and stepped over to Yumi's room. "Yumi?" He knocked lightly.

"Go away."

"No, Yumi, sorry." He opened the door slowly. "Yumi, are you okay?" She ignored him for a few seconds, her back turned to him as she sat on her bed, which was on the floor.

"Go away."

"No, Yumi." William sat on her bed next to her. "I don't know what to say to make you feel better. But I know what Ulrich is going through." He put an arm around Yumi's shoulder. "He doesn't want to be Xana's puppet."

"But, he, he said it was his choice." Yumi's lip quivered.

"Xana said that. When I was his puppet, I wasn't in control. Anything I said or did was Xana's will. I'm sure Ulrich wants nothing more than to be in my place right now." He hugged her. "We'll save him like you saved me."

"I...we used to be really good friends and now he's our enemy. I, I can't fight him. Every time I see him, I can't move."

"You could fight me when I was a puppet."

"I, I know."

"So imagine he's me." William smiled. "Imagine it's me annoying you at home when you want to be left alone."

"Dork." Yumi smiled. "I...thanks, William. You're a good friend."

"I try. Have to make up for all I did when under Xana's control."

"That's why you volunteer to do all the dangerous things, isn't it?" William nodded. "No matter how dangerous it is. Like letting Jeremie Translate you or doing all those risky maneuvers on the Cortex and Lyoko."

"Well, I guess I have to do something. I'm still the weakest warrior on Lyoko so if I can do anything else it helps. I mean, Sissi can heal and Alex got upgrades to give him his battle skills and knowledge, so even though they have less time on Lyoko, I'm still pretty weak compared to them."

"You're not weak, William. You're a warrior just like the rest of us." Yumi kissed him on the cheek.

"Thanks." William climbed too his feet. "I, uh, have homework and stuff."

"So do I, want to do it together?"

"Um, if you want me to stay, sure."

"I do."


	26. Episode 147: Lost in Translation

_**A/N: **To Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: That's a really cool idea! Mind if I tweak it and use it later on?  
To .lisss: Here you go :)  
__As always I hope you guys all enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!_

Jeremie and Aelita were, as always, working in the Control Room. "It worked with the Skid, I think we need to try it without the Skid." He typed a line and closed a window. "If William volunteers again, it would be best, since we have his data from the last Translation and it will give him experience on Earth."

"We'll ask them when they come." Aelita yawned. "Jeremie, it's already past midnight. We should go to bed."

"Um, okay. Just a couple more things." Jeremie murmured. She approached him and hugged him from behind.

"Like this?" She snuggled against him, hugging him tightly.

"No." Jeremie said flatly. "I need to enter this-" Aelita pulled away from him. "I'm sorry," He closed the screen he was typing in. "I didn't mean-" She quickly got on the elevator and pounded the button. "Wait!" Jeremie tried to chase after her, but the elevator door closed before he could get on. "No, Aelita, I'm sorry." He pulled his cell phone out and quickly tapped the keys to call her. A few rings later, he heard a mere click and looked at the screen of his phone to find that the call had ended within less than a second.

-( ( • ) ) -

The next morning, Aelita's phone rang again, waking her up. "Hello?"

"Am I waking you up, Pink Star?" The voice of Chris, of the Subdigitals, came through.

"Um, yeah." Aelita yawned and looked at the time; 5:42. "It's almost six in the morning on a Saturday."

"Oh, yeah. I wasn't sure what the time difference was and thought you might be up already." Chris laughed awkwardly. "Sorry. But we have an opportunity for you."

"Huh?" Aelita yawned again. "A what?"

"An opportunity for you, Aelita."

"Um, okay, what is it?" She sat up in her bed.

"We want to record a CD. We have it set up, and we'll have at least nine minutes left. I suggested to our manager that we let you add a few of your amazing songs at the end as bonus tracks. You'll be given about seven percent of what the CD makes and have your name and song tracks promoted on our eTunes page as well."

"Um, what do I have to do?"

"Well, we have the recording studio set up in Paris. We'll be there in a few days after we finish a couple concerts here in America."

"Um, how long does it take? If I have school and stuff, I won't be able to do it, Chris." Aelita started to shake. Here she had a chance to actually make it on a CD, but it wasn't school she was worried about.

"We can do it on a weekend, or after school, or get Mr. Delmas to let you out for a day. I will personally make it possible."

"Um, I, my parents-" Aelita began, fumbling to stall Chris while she tried to think of a way she could go while still fighting Xana.

"Won't have to worry. You won't be going anywhere out of France, and you'll only be a small ways away from Boulogne-Billancourt. And the money made can be put into a trust fund or other bank account. This is a huge chance, Aelita, and I had to fight with our manager for hours to convince him to let you have the last nine minutes." Chris explained. His tone became serious. "If you turn this down, I don't know if I can keep fighting for you. You've got talent but if your parents or whoever is keeping you from using it, we have to place our resources elsewhere. You understand, right? We just don't want to waste your time or ours."

"I, I understand. I'll do it." Aelita bit on her lower lip. "Thank you, Chris. I, I hope I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Pink Star. I'll let you get more sleep, okay?" Aelita smiled as he chuckled.

"Um, okay, thank you again, Chris, I don't know how to repay you."

"You have no idea how great your talent is. And if that talent helps sell an extra million records, the pay off will be more than enough to pay me back. This is for you as much as it is me."

"Um, okay, uh, bye." Aelita sat in her bed, completely stunned as she closed her phone and sat it on her desk. "I can't believe it. I'll be on a CD. People everywhere will hear my music." She set her jaw. "If Xana doesn't attack."

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and William were in his room, doing homework. "What war was the 1812 Overture written for?" William asked, holding a sheet of paper in front of him while watching Yumi intently.

"Uh, War of 1812?" Yumi guessed.

"Nope, good try though. Hint; the guy who wrote it was Russian."

"Oh, uh, Napoleonic Wars!" William smiled at this, causing her eyes to light up.

"Good job. Now ask me one." He handed her the sheet.

"Why did you really want to be a Lyoko Warrior?" Yumi asked, leaning forward, figuratively shocking William.

"I...to fight Xana."

"Really?" Yumi stared at him, unmoving. Not even a quirk of the eyebrow, a blink, or a frown. Just a blank look with a stare. "You've been reckless. The last time we were on Lyoko, you nearly got yourself killed doing something that was stupid."

"He was going after you." William bit his tongue, mentally cursing himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean _that_. Xana was going after you. Xana is controlling him, anything he does is what Xana wants him to do."

"So you thought you'd tackle him over the edge of the Forest Sector and almost die in the Digital Sea? If Alex and Odd hadn't been fast enough to shoot you, we would have lost you again, William." Now something other than Yumi's mouth moved; she blinked as she said William's name.

"I, I wasn't thinking about that. I just wanted to keep him from you." William reached to hold Yumi's hand. "I know how hard it is for you. You don't want to fight hi-Ulrich."

"I can fight him." Yumi pulled her hand away. "It isn't Ulrich, just like you said. It's Xana."

"Yes, Yumi, Xana. But he's using your, um, really good friend."

"You still haven't answered my question. Why did you want to be a Lyoko Warrior?" Yumi stared at William, jaw set.

"Well, I, to be part of what you were. So I could be closer to you. So we could share something." William sighed. "It was a stupid reason. You guys fight to keep Earth safe and I just wanted to be closer to you. I didn't understand how dangerous it was. I didn't care how dangerous it was. I messed up things for you and the others because I was being selfish."

"That...William..." Yumi grabbed her history book and set the paper on William's bed. "I have to go."

"I'm sorry." William watched Yumi leave. "Now she'll have no one to talk to, you idiot." He closed his history book, continuing to grumble to himself.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie sat in the Control Room alone, having skipped breakfast. _I could have waited to do this. _He enters more lines of code. _She wanted to hug me and have me hug her back and I messed up again._ He wiped his brow. _At least I know I messed up this time._

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita listened to Jeremie's voicemails, frowning all the while. "He says he's sorry but I bet he's back at the Factory working on that dumb program." She put her phone away when two hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who."

"Odd?" The hands left her view and Aelita turned around, noticing that her guess was right. "What's up?"

"I was wondering something."

"What?"

"Well, I know I'm supposed to be going after Sissi, distract her, but I don't think I can give it my all."

"Um, why?" Aelita's cheeks took a red hue as Odd smiled.

"Because there is someone distracting me." He placed a hand on Aelita's shoulder. "So I figured I had to break up with that person before I went after Sissi." Odd pulled his hand away.

"I am seriously confused." Aelita frowned, her cheeks returning to a normal color.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but I have to break up with you." Odd hugged Aelita quickly, then let go. "I'm sure you'll be able to find someone else. Someone with glasses who's absolutely in love with you even if he is a bit of a klutz when it comes to a relationship." He patted Aelita on the shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Um, sure?" Odd laughed.

"Thanks for working with me, Princess." Odd walked away.

"A klutz when it comes to relationships..." Aelita pulled her phone out and stared at Jeremie's contact in her address book.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita and Jeremie were together in the Control Room again. "It's ready. We just need a volunteer." Jeremie stated, saving the program.

"Let's call them."

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd hung up. "Okay. Ulrich," He turned to the clone, who was sitting on his bed, "guess what?"

"What?"

"We're playing a game. The rules say to sit and stay here as long as possible. If I come back and you're still sitting here, you win. Okay?"

"I like this game." The clone stayed sitting. "When do we start?"

"Now." Odd said cheerfully as he left the room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi closed her phone and began to think. "I'll do it. I'll be the guinea pig. If I'm not on Lyoko I won't have to be around him or Ulrich." Yumi left the front door of her house, determined to arrive first.

-( ( • ) ) -

William answered his phone. "Hey, Jeremie. Is Xana attacking?"

"No, we're going to do another Translation, except this time without the Skid. Will you do it?"

"Of course. I'll be there as soon as I can." They hung up and William left the Rec Room, running for the Factory.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex was the next to answer. "Hey. Yeah, I'll be there." He crammed his phone back into his pocket, turning to Mathieu, Sissi, and Skye.

"I gotta go, my mom called. She needs me to go get her prescription from the pharmacy and to run by the grocery store. She'll give me an extra ten Euros to buy myself something at the store if I do it, so I may as well." he lied, making a wave with three fingers to tip Sissi off before leaving the group and going around a corner near the Administration Building. Sissi came around the corner a mere moment later, and the two began sprinting for the woods.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi made it to the Factory before William did; when she took the elevator down to the Control Room, she approached Aelita and Jeremie. "Hey, um, I volunteer to do the Translation."

"What? Yumi, William said he would." Jeremie said dismissively.

"Well, I'm saying _I_ will. Last time he went to Earth, Ulrich went after him. If I go, and Ulrich goes to Earth again, I can be a bit more subtle since I don't have to swing around a huge sword to fight. I can throw my fans and I can use my telekinesis on him. I won't have to destroy the Factory, and we won't have to do a return."

"Well, that's a good point, Yumi." Jeremie glanced back at her, then back at the screen. "If you really want to risk it, you can. This will be very dangerous. We've never tried this before and anything could go wrong."

"William's taken all the chances lately. I'll take a chance this time." Yumi said flatly, going to the ladder and climbing down as the elevator lifted itself to the top floor.

-( ( • ) ) -

When the elevator came back down, Odd stepped off of it. "Hey, I'm the first one here." He smiled at Aelita. "I hope you're okay, Princess." He patted his chest where his heart was. "I'm still taking it hard."

"What?" Jeremie frowned, wrinkling his nose.

"Odd did something stupid." Aelita put a hand on Jeremie's shoulder. "But I'm sure he'll get over it." She smiled with a small giggle. "And Yumi beat you here. She's already in the Scanner Room waiting."

"Oh, well, I better go keep her company." Odd got back on the elevator and took it down to the Scanner Room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex and Sissi arrived next, and took the elevator straight to the Scanner Room. "Hey Yumi, hi Odd." he said brusquely as he stepped into the leftmost Scanner. "William already been translated?"

Yumi shook her head. "Nope, I'm going to do it. He isn't even here yet."

"Probably for the best." Alex nodded.

"You'll be more subtle, I think." Sissi agreed.

"That's what I said." Yumi laughed.

-( ( • ) ) -

When William arrived, he too went straight to the Scanner Room. "Hey Yumi, Odd, Sissi, Alex." William went to the rightmost Scanner, stepping past Odd. "This should be interesting."

"Even more interesting since I'm going." Yumi stepped into the center Scanner.

"What? But, I said...you don't have to do this."

"Ulrich went after you when you went. You destroyed the entire Factory. I'll be a little more subtle if he comes to Earth."

"Okay, Yumi," William stepped into the Scanner. "But I hope he doesn't go after you."

"I miss him." Odd paced a bit. "Want to see what happens when we fight fairly on Lyoko."

"It's not fair as long as Xana's fueling him." Alex murmured.

"You may find out either way." Jeremie started the process. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer William, Transfer Alex. Scanner Yumi, Scanner William, Scanner Alex. Virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Mountain Sector near the Way Tower. "Yumi, go into the Way Tower."

"Got it." Yumi ran in promptly.

"Here goes nothing." Jeremie loaded the program, a red wireframe of Yumi's Lyoko form appearing on his screen, and started the process.

"Jeremie, something is going on." Around Yumi, ones and zeroes from the panels along the Tower walls floated out and passed through her. Six tentacles formed from the wall, cyan at the base but transitioning to transparent pink at the tip, and waved angrily at her body. "I don't feel good. It's burning, should it be burning?"

"I don't know, we never did this before."

"Well, make it stop!" Yumi screamed in pain as the tentacles made contact with her body, waving around and leaving bright blue trails along her skin and the cloth of her Lyoko outfit, but never breaking contact.

"Yumi!" Alex could hear her screaming, as could William, and the two tried to enter the Tower.

"Jeremie, what are you doing to her?! Answer me!" William roared as he summoned his Zweihander in a flash of silvery smoke and slashed at the Tower.

"Without the protection of the Skid, something seems..." Jeremie murmured as the red wireframe of Yumi slowly faded into a fully colored 3D model. A blip flared on Jeremie's screen, then Yumi's screams stopped. "Yumi?"

"Jeremie, where am I?" Yumi looked around the night landscape, seeing tall, brightly lit buildings around her. She looked up at a street sign to see intricate symbols upon it. "Jeremie, where did you send me!?" She couldn't read it; it somewhat resembled Japanese kanji, but she could tell it wasn't.

"Um, on the bridge? Hold on a second, I'm virtualizing Odd and Sissi."

"I'm nowhere near the bridge." Yumi watched a couple walk out of a building. "I need to hide." She darted into an alley and crouched behind a dumpster. "Jeremie, it's night here and I can't read the signs. They use symbols in their writing."

"What? But, you should be on the bridge."

"I'm not! And I told you, I don't know the language so I know I'm way off from the bridge. What do we do?"

"I don't know." Jeremie read the data carefully. "Um, you might be in China." Yumi didn't respond. "Yumi?"

"China? How did I end up in China?" Yumi's eyes widened.

"I put an extra zero in the destination data which changes the longitude of the coordinates. I'm pretty sure you're in the north parts of China. I don't know what to tell you." Jeremie tried to bring Yumi back, but a red exclamation point flared across her 3D model. "And I can't bring you back."

"You messed up big-time, Einstein." Odd looked around. "Einstein, I know some Chinese. Maybe if you brought me back I could help translate for her so she could get some help."

Jeremie continued looking over the program. "Help? If I'm reading this right she'll have to be put in a Scanner and sent to Lyoko again to fix this. Unless you can help her find an airplane and fly here I don't think you can help."

"What!?" Yumi was clearly distressed. She was in China and needed to get back to France. "Jeremie you really, really, messed up. I can't get to France from here...What if I was sent back like when destroyed by one of Xana's monsters?"

"How? Xana doesn't have any monsters there."

"If I stood in front of a car or something and got hit? I don't know! I'm not the genius who sent me to China!"

"Um, that might actually work. But I wouldn't risk it. I'll try to again to bring you back." Jeremie began typing on the control panel.

"Um, Einstein, we have company." Odd watched two Dark Mantas flying through the air. "And our buddy is with them."

"He's not our buddy." William tightly held the Zweihander. "Ulrich is our friend. This is Xana."

"I'm sending the vehicles." Jeremie said as he did so. "And Aelita will be there shortly." He waited for Aelita to get on the elevator and take it down to the Scanner Room. "Transfer Aelita, Scanner Aelita, and virtualization." She landed softly near the others. "Yumi. can you still hear me?"

"Yes. What are you doing?"

"Not sure. I can't think of a way to bring you back. It's too risky to have you hit by a car or something. If it doesn't work you'll be hurt and the person's car will be damaged. The only way is for you to come here and be scanned."

"And how long will that take? I can't really walk all the way there, now can I? Didn't you say the Translation doesn't last forever? We could just wait for that to end, couldn't we?"

"Um, I didn't want that limit. I fixed it so you could take as long as you wanted to get the parts for another Super Computer, or, um, save Antea."

"Great. I guess I should start hitchhiking now."

"Um, no. The outfit you're wearing will raise questions and you have weapons on you."

"Just my fans. Nobody will think anything of them. I could pretend I'm a cosplayer."

"Still. I'll try and fix it." Jeremie began typing.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Ulrich landed in front of the others. "Hello, losers. Is Yumi having fun in...China, was it?"

"Why do you care?" Alex stepped forward as he pulled his pistols out and his hands sparked with green bolts of electricity.

"I don't, but I figured I'd talk to you before I destroyed you." Ulrich pulled his swords out. "I'll start with the falsely upgraded ones."

"We were upgraded by the good guys." Odd took on a fighting pose. "You were taken by Xana."

"We know you're not Ulrich." William pointed his Zweihander at Ulrich as Sissi inched behind him. "I know what it means to be his puppet."

"You know nothing, William. But I know. I have my free will intact." Ulrich smiled wickedly. "This power is more than what you could ever imagine. He had me for six days. He built me to be stronger, faster, and more clever." Ulrich quickly Triplicated. "I'll destroy all five of you at once."

"You'll need a bigger army than that, Ulrich." Aelita waved her hand over her watch and her wings appeared, sending her airborne.

"I could bring forth an army that would not only destroy you, but allow Xana to take over the world."

"Fat chance." Odd aimed at Ulrich. "Laser Arrow!" Ulrich blocked it easily. "Come on."

"Very well." Ulrich and his clones lunged at the four grounded Lyoko Warriors.

"Ha!" William swung his Zweihander at a clone as it soared through the air toward him and Sissi. It pulled up its swords and blocked the blade, but was still knocked away.

"Electrokinesis!" Alex released the green energy that had been crackling between his hands in the form of a bubble made of electric discharge, blasting the Ulrich clone away as it crumpled to the ground, stunned.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the paralyzed clone, who blocked it with a saber slash. "Be careful, guys, it's just us five. We don't have back up." Aelita soared ever higher into the air throwing energy orbs at the clone below as Alex recovered and began to shoot.

Ulrich swung at Odd who dodged and kicked out. "Come on, you used to be better than this, Ulrich." Odd fired a Laser Arrow and Ulrich blocked it. "But that was when you were fighting and not taking orders from Xana."

"I can beat you and the others any time I like." Ulrich moved a little faster but Odd was still able to dodge his attacks.

"Me, maybe but all five of us?" Odd sprung away. "Six when Yumi is here, and seven with Jeremie? I doubt that."

"It is three on four now. Sissi is paralyzed with fear. We we will win." Ulrich lunged at Odd.

"Shield!" Odd bashed Ulrich away with the purple shield.

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander and an energy blade radiated out. The clone blocked it, but fell backwards. Surprisingly, Sissi lunged forward and came down upon the clone, twisting its head violently, snapping its neck and destroying it.

"That was for what happened in the forest." Sissi growled.

"Odd, want help?" William called.

"Help the Princess and the musclehead first. I can handle this second rate Ulrich." Odd answered, dodging a swing.

"I am not second rate!" Ulrich swung again. "My clones are not I." He backed away. "But I don't need them!" He Super Sprinted forward, swords out and ready to impale Odd.

"Shield!" Odd pulled it up just in time to block Ulrich's attack.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi sat against the dumpster, scared. She knew she was stuck in China if Jeremie couldn't bring her back. "Maybe I can go back. I have my powers. I can use my telekinesis to steal someone's keys and drive back, in about three days. Faster if I speed."

"Can you drive a car?"

"Not really."

"Then it wouldn't do you much good. Especially when you needed to fill up the gas tank and have no money."

"And stealing a car wouldn't be the right thing to do anyway." Yumi sighed resignedly as Jeremie tried to fix the program.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita, Alex and William were busy with the last clone. "Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the clone. It blocked the plasma ball, lept into the air and flung a sword at Aelita, who dodged successfully.

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander and the energy blade exploded out. The clone narrowly ducked under it.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw the energy orb at the clone, which sprung backwards onto its hands and was about to do a springboard when the green blur that was a Lightspeeding Alex seemed to spontaneously appear next to it, and kick it with great force over the edge of the Sector and into the Digital Sea.

"So, Second Rate, what do you think?" Odd leapt away from Ulrich. "Three on five, and we won."

"I'm playing with you." Ulrich took a fighting stance. "But I am done." He snapped his fingers and three Dark Tarantulas virtualized behind him.

"Note to self, shut up when winning." Odd slowly backed away.

"You are never winning. You are always losing." Ulrich backed away as well as the Dark Tarantulas began to attack the Lyoko Warriors, two walking on their back legs and firing with their arms as one stayed back and shot lasers from its Eye.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at a Dark Tarantula and missed. Alex began to back away, standing near Sissi as his fists began to charge up with green electricity. She put a hand on his shoulder, transferring the energy from the clone whose neck she snapped into Alex's attack.

"Jeremie, how many Life Points do I have left?" William asked, blocking lasers with his Zweihander.

"40, be careful."

"If I get hit by a laser I'll be devirtualized so I might as well use one last attack." William strafed around the Dark Tarantula, charging his Zweihander.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired at a Dark Tarantula and hit it on the chest but missed the Eye. "Shield!" He cried, blocking lasers. "Einstein, any closer to bringing Yumi back!?" Odd lowered his shield and fired another Laser Arrow at the Dark Tarantula.

"Not yet."

"Rosetta!" William swung his Zweihander at a Dark Tarantula. It dodged the blade and he missed the Eye, but hit a leg.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the Dark Tarantula, and, being injured, it was unable to dodge it.

"William! Watch out!" Odd's warning came too late and Ulrich devirtualized him. "Good job, Second Rate, you had to attack him from behind."

"He destroyed one so I destroyed one." Ulrich put his swords away. "You have two more to go."

"We'll deal with them just like we always do." Odd growled as he aimed at a Dark Tarantula.

-( ( • ) ) -

William was up in the Control Room with Jeremie. "Yumi? Is there any way you could, um, get on a plane without anyone noticing?"

"How?" Yumi asked, arms crossed.

"Um, sneak on where they put the luggage?"

"And hope the plane comes to France? William, I need a better way. I can't walk or drive or fly. This isn't Lyoko."

"Yeah, if it were Lyoko you could just use the Overbike." William frowned, then brightened. "Jeremie, why don't you just Translate the Overbike?"

"Well, that's, I don't know if that would work." Jeremie looked over the program. "I don't think it would work."

"Well, we can't leave Yumi in China alone. Send me or something."

"William, I don't want you here. It's bad enough I'm here. I don't need you or any one else here." Yumi interjected.

"I still want to be there for you."

"I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be Translated. If I can't bring Yumi back we might need to make a clone of her." Jeremie warned.

"And the Ulrich clone?"

"Um, he could go 'home' with his parents, like we did with your clone."

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Odd sprung over a Dark Tarantula and landed on its back. "Laser Arrow!" He hit it in the Eye, destroying it.

"Super Sprint!" Odd turned and saw Ulrich coming for him.

"Shield!" Odd blocked the attack. "Not so easy when you don't get them from behind, is it, Second Rate?"

"I'll still destroy you, scrawny."

"I'm svelte!" Odd fired Laser Arrows at Ulrich, who blocked them effortlessly with his swords.

Aelita dodged laser after laser from the Dark Tarantula. "Energy Field!" She used it to block a laser, then threw it, missing.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie looked over the Translation program again. "I can't just send the Overbike to Yumi. I'll need someone to go with it."

"I'll do it." William volunteered immediately.

"Well we'll have to wait for the four on Lyoko to fight Ulrich and the Dark Tarantula off. We can't let Xana interrupt the Translation program."

"Then send me."

"I can't, not yet. You got devirtualized by an attack, not by the Super Computer's materialization program. We have to wait twelve hours for your avatar to recompile, technically...unless...hold on." Jeremie worked on a way to send the Overbike to Yumi as well as reducing William's cooldown time.

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, Odd lunged at Ulrich and tackled him. "Second Rate, we will stop you and Xana. One day you'll be First Rate again."

"You will lose to Xana. You will lose to me!" Ulrich knocked Odd off. He rolled back onto his shoulders and used his hands to launch himself to his feet. "And it will start now." He pulled his swords out.

"Electrokinesis!" From the foggy sky of the Mountain Sector, a dark spot formed in the artificial Lyoko clouds and a brilliant green bolt of electricity angrily split through the air and onto Ulrich.

"No!" Ulrich exploded into a red wireframe, which dissipated into black mist and floated through the foggy sky to Sector 5.

"Thanks, Musclehead." Odd said gratefully as he crawled to his feet.

"No problem, Scrawny." Alex returned.

"I'm not scrawny..." Odd turned around to glare at Alex, but out of the corner of his eye he saw the last Dark Tarantula aiming at Aelita. "Watch out!" She turned and saw the Dark Tarantula, and dodged the lasers from its Eye.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw the ball of pink plasma but missed.

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fired, hitting the Dark Tarantula in the leg as it shot at Aelita.

"Ow!" Aelita was hit in the stomach and fell from the sky as her wings dissolved.

"Princess!" Odd sprinted on all fours to catch Aelita. "You have to be more careful." He set her down and smiled.

"Um, thanks." A laser passed by the two as Aelita thanked him. She acted quickly and managed to make an Energy Field bubble around them both.

"Got it!" Alex announced after firing into its Eye and destroying it.

"Good job, you four." Jeremie congratulated as he materialized them.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and Aelita, after nearly an hour, were ready to send William and the Overbike to Yumi. "Go down to the Scanner Room." Jeremie ordered. William nodded and took the ladder down to the Scanner Room, and stepped into the middle Scanner. "Transfer William, Scanner William, and virtualization." William landed on Lyoko as the Overbike formed. He slowly drove it into the Way Tower.

"I'm ready, Jeremie." William announced solemnly as Jeremie pulled up two wireframes; one gray frame of William and one black of the Overbike.

"Is it working?" Yumi asked nervously. If it didn't work, she would have a long walk, or drive, home. If it worked, she'd be on the Overbike for hours, alone, with William.

"Gah!" William screamed as the tentacles waved at him and attached to his skin.

"It's working. I'll have to find a way to make it not hurt." Jeremie took the headset off so he wouldn't have to hear William's screams.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi could hear the sound of energy crackling. When she exited her hiding place, she saw an energy orb sparking over the street. There was a loud bang as William and the Overbike appeared. "William!"

"Yumi!" William greeted as he drove the Overbike to her. "Your taxi awaits." He patted the back of the Overbike.

"Um, thanks." Yumi climbed onto on the back and wrapped her arms around William's waist. "Did it hurt?"

"Yes, a lot." William sighed. "But it was worth it." He revved the engine and turned towards Europe. "Flight controls should do the trick." He activated them and took off into the air with Yumi.

-( ( • ) ) -

Nearly twelve hours later William and Yumi set down on the bridge. "Finally." William sighed. He and Yumi climbed off of the Overbike, and William quickly cut it down with the Zweihander.

"Awww," Yumi cooed. She and William had just found Jeremie and Aelita on the floor sleeping next to each other.

"We shouldn't wake them."

"Yeah, I'll send us. Let those two sleep." Yumi decided as she stepped over to the control panel and started the auto transfer program. They took the ladder down to the Scanner Room and stepped in the Scanners.

-( ( • ) ) -

When they landed on Lyoko, Yumi and William both pulled their weapons out. "Send me back, William."

"If you'll send me back, Yumi." William charged his Zweihander.

"Rosetta!"

"Hiya!"

-( ( • ) ) -

When they stepped off the elevator and onto the Factory floor, it was well past dark. "My parents are going to kill me."

"Well, maybe we could think of something?" William offered.

"Oh, yeah, tell them I was out this late with a boy."

"No, tell them, um, you were consoling me?"

"About what?" Yumi rolled her eyes.

"Um, someone died in my family? And you went with me to the funeral? It was last minute and, um, didn't tell them?"

"I'll be grounded for weeks anyways so we might as well try it." Yumi agreed as she and William began to walk to her house.

-( ( • ) ) -

Mrs. Ishiyama watched through the window and saw Yumi coming up to the house with a boy. "Yumi!" she shrieked as she flung the door open.

"Mom, um, I'm sorry." Yumi had her arm around William's shoulders. "It's okay, William. She's in a better place now."

"What are you doing out this late? And with a boy!"

"Um, Mom, I'm sorry." Yumi pulled away from him. "William, um, thanks for inviting me to the, uh, funeral but, um, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble."

"I, I'm sorry." William wiped away a tear. "Mrs. Ishiyama, I'm so sorry. I, my grandmother died and I, I wanted someone to be with me."

"I'm sorry. Um, Yumi, why didn't you call us?" Mrs. Ishiyama asked, her expression softened and her voice less frantic.

"I'm sorry, mom. I turned my cell off at the funeral, then lost it and since it was off I couldn't call it and find it."

"His cell phone? His parents' phones?" Mrs. Ishiyama crossed her arms.

"I have no phone, ma'am." William interjected.

"And I was too embarrassed to ask his parents. I thought I could just find my phone." Yumi said, bowing her head.

"If you don't take things seriously, Yumi, how can you think your father and I can treat you as an adult? You're almost seventeen years old now, you need to start acting older. Embarrassed is no excuse." Mrs. Ishiyama waved a finger before crossing her arms again.

"It's my fault, I, I was really close to my grandmother. I needed a friend and Yumi was the only one who was nice enough to come with me. Please don't be too mad with her." William said, his voice cracking.

"I'm sorry about your loss, really I am, but she was out really late. She should have called us or something."

"I'm sorry, please, don't punish her for being a good friend." William wiped away another tear.

"Well, Yumi, it's late. You need to take a bath and go to bed." Mrs. Ishiyama put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and led her into the house as William walked away.

-( ( • ) ) -

When William got away, he pulled his shirt up and pulled the hair clip off of his nipple. "Ow, that stings." He looked at the hair clip. "I should give this back to Yumi, eventually." He pocketed the clip and started to walk back to Kadic Academy.


	27. Episode 148: Mother Earth

_**A/N: **This is it; one more chapter after this and this fanbook will be finished! Don't despair though everyone, you can check back next weekend and start reading Book 2! Please be sure to, I don't wanna lose any readers.  
Sorry for the delay guys! I hope you enjoy the penultimate chapter._

Yumi was grounded because of the last Xana attack. She had to rely on a return to stay out of trouble the last few times Xana attacked. It didn't help that school ended within a single week.

-( ( • ) ) -

William was doing homework in his room while watching the Ulrich clone. "Good job, Ulrich. I'm sure if you keep sitting there you'll win the game."

"I hope so. I'm undefeated." the clone chirped from the floor in front of William's bed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was out in the forest hunting. "Here Sissi, Sissi, Sissi." He peeked his head around the corner of the Hermitage. "Where the heck is she?" He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, but there was no answer after a few seconds. "Come on, Sissi, where are you?

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita and Jeremie were in the Control Room. "We have to destroy one. We need to weaken Xana."

"We've been stopped every time, Aelita. I think we should focus more on making a Super Computer, or finding and freeing your mother."

"We were stopped by Xana before and we never gave up. Xana has won so many times. My materialization, my memories, destroying Lyoko, taking William, surviving our attempts to kill him, tricking me into turning the computer back on, taking Ulrich...We can't stop now. We have an idea of the layout of the compound in Australia. If we send Yumi she'll be able to find it and destroy it."

"And who do we send with her?"

"William. Odd and Alex are needed to defend the Skid, Sissi can heal and I can deactivate a Tower in case Xana attacks."

"I want to make sure that nothing goes wrong. Xana might have enhanced the blockade or made a new Internet monster or a million other things." Jeremie pulled up the Skidbladnir's program, showing an orange wireframe of the ship itself, green wireframes of the pilot's cockpit and the Nav Skids, and a transluscent blue bubble around the whole thing. "I'll make the shields stronger before we go."

"_We _will make sure the shields are stronger." Aelita corrected as she hugged Jeremie from behind.

"Yes, we." Jeremie turned around in the chair and hugged Aelita back, having learned from past mistakes.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd finally spotted Sissi near the sewer entrance of the woods. He stealthily snuck up behind her before covering her eyes with his hands. "Guess who!" he exclaimed.

"Uh, who?" Sissi asked airily.

"Someone with two backstage passes to the next Subdigitals concert." Odd proclaimed as Sissi turned around.

"And what does that have to do with me, Odd?" Sissi asked, prompting a smile from him.

"Well, who would I go with? The others got tickets too. All but you." Odd pulled the tickets out. "So if you wanted to go with me I'd be happy to give you the other ticket."

"I... I don't know."

"Why not?"

"Will Ulrich's clone be there?" Sissi asked, to which Odd shook his head. "Why not?"

"He doesn't want to go, plus he'd probably make a scene. And you're one of us now, so why not come?" Odd waved the tickets in front of Sissi. "All you have to do is say yes."

"I...I guess I could. When is it?"

"This Saturday. In Paris."

"I didn't see any advertisements saying tickets were for sale yet."

"It's going to be announced later today. Why I wanted to find you before it was announced. So you wouldn't go out and buy a ticket. But you wouldn't answer your phone."

"I broke it and my father won't buy me a new one. Sorry." Odd smiled, turning the charm on even more.

"That's too bad. But I found you, so it's okay. Although if Xana attacks that could be very bad." Odd put an arm around Sissi's shoulder.

"Um, yeah." Sissi blushed. "Um, the concert. Are we doing anything before it or do you just want to meet there?"

"Well I'd love to get something to eat before the concert. L'endroit de Consommation le Plus Célèbre sound good?"

"Um, that sounds good." Odd continued walking with Sissi, discussing what to do before the concert.

-( ( • ) ) -

Outside of a military base surrounded by snow drifts in Siberia, Ulrich appeared from an ominous black mist. "I must kill her." His sabers appeared in his hands as he slowly stepped toward the base.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita and Jeremie had the shields powered up and were about to call the others when the Super Scan appeared on the screen. "We'll have to do it after this." Jeremie sighed. "Lagoon Sector."

"This is bad. I think he might have known. He didn't want us to destroy that Super Computer." Aelita murmured.

"It might be tied in to Ulrich's possession. Call Odd and Yumi. I'll call William and Alex."

Odd shoved his phone back into his pocket. "And speaking of the Princess, she just called."

"What did she want?" Sissi asked. "Xana attack?"

"Yep. And she was wondering if you were going to go to the concert and if you wanted to get to talk to Chris for a while."

"I, she, she will let me talk to him?!" Sissi gasped.

"Sure thing...if I ask her kindly enough." Odd kissed Sissi on the cheek. "Now we have to go save the world."

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich slowly walked toward a tall barbed wire fence. "Стой!" A guard on the other side raised his rifle.

"I'm sorry, I don't know Russian." Ulrich hissed as he leapt over the fence. "Where is she?" He grabbed the guard by the throat. "Where is she?!" Ulrich shook the guard by the throat, but the latter remained silent.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd with Sissi was the first to make it to the Factory. They took the elevator down to the Control Room, and as the doors opened Odd piped up. "What is Xana doing?"

"We don't know yet." Aelita glanced at the screen. "We think he's just trying to stop us from destroying a Super Computer."

"Which one?" Sissi asked.

"The one in Australia. It may be tied into Ulrich's possession." Jeremie stated, taking his glasses off and wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Or that's what he wants us to think." Odd rubbed his chin. "If I was Xana I'd try to trick us into thinking it was important, so we wouldn't go after the really important one. Or that is what he wants us to think. Or that is what he wants us to think."

Aelita laughed. "And that might be what he wants us to think. We have to destroy it no matter what, whether it is tied to Ulrich or not."

"Well, we just have to wait for the others." Sissi stated, crossing her arms as she leaned against the Holomap.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich made his way through the snow toward a hangar. Several guards dove out from behind a corner and fired at Ulrich, who effortlessly blocked the bullets with his swords.

"Пожар на воле!" Several more guards began to swarm the area.

"Enough playing, Triplicate!" Ulrich split apart and his clones attacked the guards. "Easy enough. Fusion." He merged with his clones once more before entering the hangar.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi and Alex, after sneaking out of the library during their grade's study hall, made it to the Factory next. They leapt, taking hold of the ropes, and swung down to the Factory floor. With that, they boarded the Elevator and took it down.

-( ( • ) ) -

William made it to the Factory last. As he was walking across the bridge, a black mist manifested.

"No, stay back, Xana!" William backed away slowly. "I don't know if you can possess me anymore, and I don't really want to find out." The black mist attacked William, who struggled against it and began to choke.

"William should be here by now." Odd closed his cell phone.

"Maybe Xana attacked him." Yumi bit on a nail. "We need to hurry."

"Get on the elevator and I'll send you." Jeremie pulled up Odd, Sissi and Yumi's ID Cards.

-( ( • ) ) -

William rolled on the bridge trying to fight off the black mist. He screamed and sparked with energy as the black mist started to take control. "No!" He could feel the black mist rip away from him. "You can't possess me any more." He tentatively got up, shaking his head weakly, and stumbled across the bridge.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd, Sissi and Yumi climbed into the Scanners. "Transfer Yumi, Transfer Odd, Transfer Sissi, Scanner Yumi, Scanner Odd, Scanner Sissi, virtualization." They landed on Lyoko in the Lagoon Sector. "Wait, the elevator is running." Jeremie turned around and saw William step off of it.

"Jeremie, where is everyone else?" William leaned against the wall for support.

"On Lyoko. Are you okay?"

"A bit shaken but not stirred." William laughed a little.

"Just hurry. We don't know what Xana is doing." William stepped back on the elevator and took it down to the Scanner Room. He stepped into the middle Scanner as Alex and Aelita took the remaining two. "Transfer William, Transfer Alex, Transfer Aelita. Scanner William, Scanner Alex, Scanner Aelita. Virtualization." The three landed near the others as the vehicles, minus the Overbike, appeared. "Head north. It isn't far."

"On it, Einstein." Odd leapt on the Overboard with Sissi as Aelita took the Overcycle with Alex. "Yumi and William sitting on an Overwing, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Shut up Odd!" Yumi pulled out a fan and flung it at Odd, narrowly missing his tail.

"You two do make a cute couple." Aelita laughed, stopping when Yumi waved the fan at her threateningly. "Sorry."

"We need to deactivate this Tower." Yumi activated the Overwing and took off.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich sliced through the door blocking his way and stepped into the hangar. "Where is Antea Schaeffer?" The guards didn't reply. "You don't understand Français? I don't understand Russe. I'm going to have to do this the hard way." He drew his sabers.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Lyoko Warriors made it to the activated Tower easily, but getting Aelita to deactivate it would be a lot harder. "He sent the Scorpion and Dark Angel." William pulled his Zweihander out.

"Ulrich must be busy doing something else." Yumi readied a fan. "Something that doesn't benefit us."

"Then let's play without him." Odd dove at the Scorpion. "You guys play with Sharpie." Odd dodged a laser from the Scorpion. "Laser Arrow!" He fired back but missed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich shifted through a wall. "A computer...where is she?" He began to type on the computer, narrowing his eyes angrily.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Hiya!" Yumi threw a fan but the Dark Angel dodged. "Aelita, Alex, try for the Tower!" Yumi called as she caught the fan.

"Watch out!" Jeremie watched something form on the screen. "There's something coming from behind you!" Odd dodged a laser from the Scorpion, Sissi clinging to his waist and saw the Volcanoid.

"It's not Ulrich...unless he had a weight gain." Odd joked as he and Sissi dodged another laser. "Einstein, what do we do?"

"Be careful guys. I don't know what to do."

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich smirked at the computer and closed the file he was looking at. "Time to die." He slashed the computer with his sword, leaving the screen a sparking mess, then turned and shifted through the wall to start the hunt.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw an energy orb at the Dark Angel as the Volcanoid came closer. Alex could do little more than glare at it and try firing off a few bullets, but they bounced off the large beast's shell.

"Hai!" Yumi threw her fan but missed the Dark Angel.

"Guys, destroy one of the monsters before the Volcanoid gets there!" Jeremie cried, feeling helpless.

"Well then help, Jeremie!" Sissi whined as she jumped off of the Overboard and dodged a laser from the Scorpion.

"I have an idea. I'm sending the Overbike."

"Got it. Well, I don't...do you, Yumi?" William asked.

"Not really." Yumi said with a frown.

-( ( • ) ) -

Ulrich shifted through the floor and into a room. It was bare except for a cot, toilet, and sink. But his target accented the blandness: a woman, her hair pink but dyed blonde about a third of the way from her vividly-colored roots, in a white lab coat laying on the cot. "Hello Antea." She didn't move. "Get up."

"The next experiment isn't for at least another hour. Please leave me alone." Ulrich pulled his katanas out.

"Get up so I may see the face of the person I am about to kill." Antea turned over and saw Ulrich.

"What are you supposed to be, one of Tyron's ninjas?"

"Close. A samurai. And I don't work for Tyron." Ulrich waved a sword in front of her face. "I have been sent here to kill you."

"Why?" Antea asked calmly.

"You are a threat to Xana."

"So Franz finally got that thing to work, huh?" She smiled. "I am kidnapped by the government and forced to marry a maniac and help him with his mad schemes, then sent to Siberia and locked away when his plans don't work. But instead of helping to save me, he works on that stupid computer. And his precious Xana seems to have gained some new powers."

"Franz is nothing. He is hiding from Xana. But there is something about you that threatens Xana."

"Franz's back up plan just in case he lost control of Xana." Antea tapped her temple. "I never thought he would get it to work. So, what has happened?"

"You are not afraid to die?"

"We are born, we live, and then we die. If now is the time then I die. Who knows, maybe I'll go to an afterlife far away from this cell."

"Then you are braver than Xana. He does not want to die. You have the Key to Xana, a heavily encrypted chip implanted by Franz. An encryption that Xana was specifically programmed to be unable to break no matter what."

"And Aelita has the Keys to Lyoko. He'll need those before he can do anything himself. A puppet like yourself, sure, but Xana? He's trapped as much as I am." Antea stood up and spread her arms. "Come on, do it."

"I guess it's a good thing Xana has already gotten the Key from Aelita."

Antea gasped. "Aelita, no, is she okay? I, I saw her a few months ago..."

"She's fine, for now." Ulrich kicked Antea in the stomach, and she fell back, into the sink. "But Xana might change that." He laughed and pointed his sword at her. "Are you sure you're ready to die?"

"I... before I die, tell me, do you know my daughter?"

"Yes. We used to be friends."

"But you, you can't be much more than sixteen, and she'd be in her twenties."

"One doesn't age on Lyoko. She's younger than I am."

"But that would mean she was on Lyoko for at close to a decade at least. Why would Franz do that? Please, tell me about my daughter. I won't fight you or try to run. As you can see I can't leave this room, and there are no weapons. I just want to know what's happened to my daughter."

"I can do that."

-( ( • ) ) -

On Lyoko, William jumped off of the Overwing and charged the Dark Angel. He leapt forward and tried to spear it with his Zweihander, but the Dark Angel dodged it as Yumi threw her fans.

"Keep distracting him." Aelita focused on an energy orb. It grew larger and larger between her hands as Alex steered the Overbike.

"Hiya!" Yumi threw her fans again, but the Dark Angel dodged both and swatted William away in the middle of a backflip.

"Einstein, what's your plan? The Volcanoid is here!" Odd dodged a laser from the Scorpion then dodged a swing from the Volcanoid. Fortunately for him, Sissi leapt atop it and began to sap its Life Points.

"Almost ready to load the Overbike."

"Why didn't you send it before?" Odd demanded as he slid between the legs of the Volcanoid then turned and tried to leap on its back as Sissi had done. "Whoa!" He couldn't get a grip and fell off.

"This is why." Jeremie smiled as he sent the Overbike.

Above the Scorpion the Overbike formed. When it fell, it landed on the Scorpion, hitting the Eye and destroying it.

"Great move, Jeremie, but we still have the Volcanoid and Dark Angel." William held his Zweihander up to shield himself from the Dark Angel's attacks.

"Energy Field!" Aelita threw her massive energy orb at the Dark Angel. It sprung out of the way just as Alex disengaged the Overcycle and sprung off. He soared through the air and planted his foot firmly in the Dark Angel's head, sending both through a hole in the Lagoon Sector's floor.

"Bye bye." he snarled sinisterly as he pressed his pistols to his own stomach and fired, the bullets causing his body to twist and recoil in air as he devirtualized. The Dark Angel could do nothing but growl before landing in the Digital Sea.

"Princess, get to the Tower!" Odd rolled out of the way of the massive foot of the Volcanoid. "Shield!" he cried, blocking lasers just as the Volcanoid finally exploded and Sissi's wireframe disappeared behind it.

-( ( • ) ) -

In Siberia, Ulrich sparked with energy. "Enough talking. It is time to die." He placed the point of his sword right over Antea's heart.

"As long as Aelita is still doing well," Antea pressed herself against the sword and it pierced through the lab coat, "then I have done what I can." She winced as Ulrich pushed the sword and it pierced her skin.

-( ( • ) ) -

"Tower deactivated." The screens fell around Aelita. "Jeremie, do we do a return?"

"I don't know. Ulrich did something, but we don't know what. Xana may be trying to trick us."

"I know, and we can't be making him stronger. Bring us back."

"But we can't risk letting him do whatever Ulrich did. We need a return."

-( ( • ) ) -

After the return Odd found Sissi near the woods again. He still snuck up behind her. "Guess who?"

"Odd Della Robbia with two backstage passes to the upcoming Subdigitals concert?" He pulled away from her.

"Yeah...it's no fun if I can't surprise you."

"I'm psychic." Sissi turned around and Odd laughed. He put his arm around her shoulder and the two began walking, discussing their plans.


	28. Episode 149: Another End

_**A/N: **Here it is...! This is the last chapter :( But hey, Book 2 starts this Friday so don't miss it! And to Naruto Sakura Uzumaki; Good catch ;) And I honestly simply forgot about Super Smoke. Guess there's no harm right? Yumi and Aelita never used Telekinesis or Creativity in Evolution.  
Enjoy everyone, and be sure to leave a review, tell me what you wanna see happen in Book 2!_

William was standing outside of Yumi's house with a card and flowers. "You can do this." He ran up to the house and set the card and flowers down, rang the doorbell, and finally ran away.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita and Jeremie were leaving the Factory. "It's ready. But we need to take a break." Jeremie sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Maybe we could go somewhere to eat before I have to go to the recording studio." Aelita took his hand in hers.

"Is that today?"

"Yes, Jeremie." She pulled away. "I've told you three times already. I have to go to the recording studio for the CD."

"I know that, I just didn't know it was today."

"I just asked you five minutes ago if you wanted to go with me to the studio and you said yes."

"But I didn't know it was today. We have the shields and engines powered up on the Skid and we have the coordinates set so you won't even have to pilot it. If Xana does anything to it, I might have to spend another week on it."

"We might." Aelita took a couple of deep breaths to remain calm. "We might and if we needed to, we would. But I can't blow this off."

"How long do we have?"

"An hour and a half. That's why I asked if you wanted to get something to eat. Before I have to go and record."

"Sure, okay." The two walked into the city, looking for a place to eat.

-( ( • ) ) -

The Ulrich clone was in Odd's room, playing the sit still game. "I want to be the one to go out and Odd to sit." He got up and left, annoyed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex sat on his bed and sighed, flipping through a magazine with an athlete posing on the front cover, when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"Alex?" an airy female voice came through.

"Kassandra? Is that you?" Alex asked, furrowing his brow and setting the magazine down.

"Yes, but you know I prefer to be called Mom." the woman scolded in a forced-cheery voice.

"I don't want to be rude, I really don't, but I only have one Mom, and she left a long time ago. Marrying Dad won't change that." Alex sighed. "I'm sure you didn't call to complain about how I refer to you. What's up?"

"You know, I'm really getting annoyed with your attitude, and I...nevermind. I just wanted to know how things were going with you and your little boyfriend Jacob..."

"You called just to ask about the guy that kept flirting with me? That doesn't make him my boyfriend. But I'll tell you anyway. Jake's father was constantly calling him names and threatening him, and sometimes hitting him, so I got worried enough and I told the school counselor. He got mad at me for not asking him before reporting it. Ever since then we would fight over stupid crap that mostly went back to him not trusting me anymore. He had once confessed to me he's in love with me, and when Skye asked what was bothering him I accidentally let it slip. He was about to ask me out, but because of that he didn't want to anymore. I promised him I would call that night, but I only had a few minutes left on my phone and I needed to use it for something far more important. That understandably annoyed him. And he's been very distant and kind of a jerk to me over some things because I keep accidentally blowing him off and breaking his trust. It's really more on me than him, but nonetheless I told him that I was done fighting with him and when he thinks we can get along like we used to, he could talk to me again then. Before that I also told him I'm not into guys, so as much as it sucks he's going to have to get over his crush. He hasn't spoken a word to me since. That's how things are going. Alright?"

"Oh, Alex...I know it's never easy to break up with someone, but you had to let down that little fa-"

"Don't you dare finish that word. I don't care if you don't support people like him, but he was my best friend before all of this. I hate losing him." Alex's grip tightened on his phone as he frowned. "My life is stressful enough lately without losing my best friend over petty fights."

"Well, with the way you talk to me sometimes, it's no wonder you're losing him." Kassandra hissed, her voice taking a hard tone.

"Thanks. I appreciate your support." Alex said in a deadpan as he laid back on his bed.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was with Sissi in her room. "Tomorrow is the big concert, excited?"

"Of course!" Sissi held a Subdigitals poster in her hands. "Do you think I should ask Chris to autograph this, or the shirt, or both?"

"Sissi," Odd took the poster from her. "I don't think he'd appreciate you bugging him for autographs. He gave these tickets to the Princess so her friends could spend time with her in the back before she performs. Not so we could bug the band."

"But you said I could talk to Chris and Nico and Ben!"

"Yes, but I didn't say you could annoy them." He tried to stay calm. Hanging out with Sissi to keep her away from the clone was starting to get rather tiresome. "Meet, shake hands, and say hello. Maybe even talk to them for a minute. But if you act like a crazy groupie I'll be in trouble and I know the Princess won't let you go to another." Odd handed the poster back.

"Um, okay, sorry." Sissi pouted.

"I'll ask the Princess if I could get an autograph from them, 'kay?"

"Why do you get to ask them?"

"Because I'm not going to act like a crazy groupie." Odd gave Sissi a goofy smile, which made her laugh a bit.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi walked up the stairs to her room with the flowers and card. "Who could they be from?" She closed her door then locked it before opening the card.

_Will you go to the concert with me as more than friends?_

"Wait, Ulrich? The clone wouldn't have done this."

"Your boyfriend!" Her brother, Hiroki, howled as he threw a book at Yumi's door.

"Hiroki, get away from my door!" She heard his rapid footsteps as he dashed away cackling. "It couldn't be from the clone. It's too stupid to think of this." She dropped the card and flowers. "William, that idiot." She kicked the flowers and they landed in her trash bucket, then she plopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita and Jeremie were taking a cab to the recording studio after eating. It began to rain lightly. "I didn't bring an umbrella."

"Don't worry, you can use my bag as one." Jeremie pulled the aforementioned bag off his shoulder and handed it to Aelita.

"Thanks." She kissed him on the cheek, and he blushed.

The cab stopped in front of the recording studio, and when the two got out, Aelita held the bag over her head to stay dry.

-( ( • ) ) -

Xana activated the Way Tower in the Ruins Sector, inside of the temple Yumi had noticed on their first visit.

-( ( • ) ) -

The clone was walking about on the campus as it rained. "Odd!" it called. "Odd!"

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was talking with Sissi about the upcoming concert when he heard his name. "Sissi, be quiet for a second." He clamped a hand over her mouth. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah, it sounded like Ulrich or his clone." Sissi and Odd looked out the window to see Ulrich wandering around in the rain.

"I should probably go get him, you stay here." Odd sprinted out of the room.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was standing in the recording room. "I just do what I want? I don't have to wear anything special, right?"

"Right. Just do your thing, Pink Star." Chris hit a button. "Starting now." Aelita smiled and began a beat.

-( ( • ) ) -

Alex stared at the phone in his hand. He frowned, thinking, and finally dialed Yumi's number. "Yumi?"

"Yeah, Alex?" Yumi sighed.

"Remember all the stuff with me and Jake?"

"What about it?"

"I talked to my stepmom and her craziness made me think I need to talk to him again."

"He's being a total butt to you. You were trying to save his life when you went to the counselor, you said yourself that his father has gotten extremely violent before. You didn't mean to tell Skye and you apologized at least three times. And you were saving the world from Xana when you didn't call him."

"Yeah, that's what I told him except the part about saving the world. But he's my best friend. I think part of why it hurts him so bad is because he's crushing on me."

"Crushing? I thought he was straight up in love with you. Isn't that what he said? He had told a few people about it and it kinda spread. Milly and Tamiya may not publish it in the newspaper but that doesn't mean they won't tell anyone who will listen."

"I don't think that's possible, Yumi. Love isn't love unless it's shared, right? True love is meant to be. I think he's just infatuated and he'll eventually be over me. It wasn't always there, we used to just be normal friends."

"Maybe, but either way that's why he's so hurt by you breaking his trust."

"You know, he said that he's been burying it for a long time now. He was crying. He said he can't stand the way we fight, he also said he didn't believe me when I told him not to come around me anymore."

"Why would you tell him that?"

"I don't know. He didn't remind me then, but when he first confessed his feelings for me I promised him that I may not be willing to get with him romantically but nonetheless I would never, ever, turn my back on him as my best friend. He promised me the same. Now he tells me he didn't believe me when I said I didn't _need_ him. He told me to not pretend I don't care at all. He was right, I care, a lot. Just not the way he wants me to. I had to break my promise, Yumi, because this way he won't suffer so much because of me. But he's too good for breaking his promise. He won't just give up on me and let things heal."

"Alex, you need to tell him what you're telling me. He's going to keep being rude to you if he thinks you're just an uncaring jerk who doesn't mind if he leaves."

"He wasn't rude to me last time we talked. He told me it looks like I've given up and I've had enough, but he told me he won't break his promise to never give up on me 'cause he isn't the kind of person to break promises, never has been, and he somehow just knows I'll come around."

"Then maybe you should come around."

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd ran out of the dormitory building, approaching the clone. "Ulrich, what are you doing? You lose."

"I want me to move and you to sit still."

"We can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because I will lose. I can't sit still. But you were undefeated until now." Odd tried to grab the clone but it smacked his hand away.

"I want to play a new game!" The clone wailed, sprinting off and forcing Odd to give chase.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was laying down her newest beat when Chris began to speak. "Bring it down now, Aelita. End this track and we'll get to another song." She nodded and finished her song.

"Was that good?"

"It was great!" Chris entered the room and gave Aelita a high five. "You still have about four minutes you can fill. What do you think you can lay down in four minutes?"

"I can think of a couple things." Aelita laughed a little. "This is great! I was all nervous, but this is so cool. People are going to hear this."

"They sure will. And if there is big enough of a response, we can work on getting you a CD of your own, Pink Star." Chris promised, going back into the control room as Aelita set up for another song.

-( ( • ) ) -

The rain began to come down harder. A black mist swirled out from the Factory and floated up into the storm clouds.

-( ( • ) ) -

Aelita was about to finish her second song when a lightning bolt struck the recording studio.  
"What was that?" Chris demanded as the power flickered out. "Brian, did you get that?"

"No, we lost it. And the first one." The producer clicked a switch. "And everything on this computer."

"What? Why didn't you have a surge protector?" Jeremie questioned as he looked into the other room and saw Aelita waving frantically.

"We do have one. Several, plus fuses and other things, but I think that strike was right on the building. No way anything could resist that." Brian tried to reboot his system as Chris stepped into the recording room to check on Aelita.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd was chasing after the clone when a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree. "Whoa!" He leapt back as a tree branch tumbled to the ground. "You ever hear the saying too close for comfort? That was really uncomfortable." He turned to the clone, which had a blank look on its face. "Why am I talking to you?"

"We should go back."

"Yes, yes we should." Odd grabbed the clone by the shirt and headed back to the dorm building.

-( ( • ) ) -

As Odd and the clone came close to the dorm building, the clone tackled Odd.

"What was that fo-" A bolt of lighting struck where Odd had been standing before, cutting his words off. "Whoa, how did you know that...it...wow." He could feel his heartbeat quicken.

"I felt Xana's energy." the clone stated.

"You can feel that?" The clone nodded. "How?"

"He is attacking a Way Tower, and the Super Computer."

"But Aelita and Jeremie didn't call." Odd reached for his phone and pulled it out. When he opened it, he found it to be fried. "This is very bad." He and the clone climbed off of the ground and ran for the dorm building.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd and the clone rushed into William's room. "William! is your cell phone working?!" Odd demanded as William leapt off of his bed.

"What!? Odd, what happened?"

"The clone says Xana's attacking and my cell phone is fried."

"Why didn't Aelita or Jeremie call?"

"I'm not even sure if Xana is attacking, but the clone says he is."

"Xana's energy is in the sky. He's making it go flash boom." the clone warned, wide-eyed. William pulled his cell phone out and called Jeremie.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie felt his phone vibrate, pulling it out and seeing William's number. "William," Jeremie whispered, "what are you doing?"

"Is Xana attacking?"

"What? No. The Super Scan would be activated."

"Check it. The clone says Xana is attacking."

"Fine." Jeremie set his phone down and pulled his laptop out of the bag. He opened it, but it wouldn't turn on. "This is bad." He turned it over and realized that the bottom was wet. "When Aelita used my bag as an umbrella it fried the thing..." He picked his phone up. "William, Xana's probably attacking. Get to the Factory. I'll call Alex."

"Got it." William and Jeremie hung up. "I'll call Yumi and tell her to get to the Factory."

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd grabbed the clone by the arm. "I want you to sit down...wait," Odd glanced out the window as a bolt of lightning struck, "you can feel Xana's energy and know where he's going to strike, right? Because Xana is attacking the Super Computer like you said?"

"Yes." the clone replied in a surprisingly helpful manner.

"Then you're coming with us." Odd stated as he waited for William to call Yumi.

-( ( • ) ) -

Yumi heard a beep in the background of her and Alex's conversation, and glanced at her phone's screen where saw William's number had tried to call. "Oh, William just called. I'm not talking to him, no way. You won't believe what he did earlier..."

-( ( • ) ) -

"She won't answer." William sent a text message but knew he wouldn't get a reply if she didn't pick up. "Maybe Xana got her already."

"Don't say that. We have to go and check on her. She's probably at home." Odd and the clone left William's room. William picked up a picture he had been looking at before Odd and the clone had burst in.

"Please be okay." He slid it into a book and took off after Odd and the clone.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie tapped his foot impatiently. Aelita was helping Chris work on the soundboard on the other side of the glass. He tried to get her, but without the power on he couldn't use the intercom to talk to Aelita. "Can't I go in there?"

"That machinery is very delicate. Chris has a degree in electronics, and for some reason he trusts Aelita." Brian answered.

"She started mixing after fixing a soundboard with no help or experience with one."

"Well, I'm sure this equipment is a lot more complicated than anything she's ever seen."

"I doubt that." Jeremie tapped his foot even more, trying to think of a way to get Aelita out.

-( ( • ) ) -

As Odd, William, and the clone were running across the campus, Sissi caught sight of them. "What are you three doing running around in the rain?!"

"It's Xana! Come on" Odd called as he tried to speed up, but it wasn't working.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie pulled his phone out, looked for Mr. Belpois's contact, and called it. He hung up before his father could answer. A few seconds later, the phone rang. "Hello?" Jeremie paused. "Oh, ok, um, sorry. I have to go." He hung up. "Get Aelita, all students need to report to the school right now."

"What? You can't go in there while the system is open."

"You can explain that to the principal then." Brian sighed and knocked hard on the door. Chris set something down and went to the door.

"What is it?"

"The principal called and all students need to go back to the school."

"Oh, okay." Chris turned to Aelita. "Pink Star, I'm sorry but you're needed back at school."

"What? But we're so close. I'm sure just a couple more wires and-" Chris laughed, cutting her off.

"You remind me of when I was first starting out. I worked with a DJ and fixed his equipment. Ah, I can still remember when I fixed his equipment and played around. I met Nico when he heard me and told me he had a band he was trying to put together."

Jeremie coughed. "We have to go."

"Okay, here's some taxi money." Chris handed Aelita a few Euros. "Get going, you two, don't need either one of you getting in trouble."

"Either one of us?" Jeremie asked, confused.

"I need the Pink Star for her music and she needs you." Both teens blushed as they left the building.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd, William, and the clone were close to Yumi's house when Sissi finally caught up to them. "Why are we going this way?"

"Sissi, go to the Factory." Odd commanded.

"No way, Odd. You three run off in the middle of a Xana attack and you aren't even going to the Factory?"

"Watch out!" The clone tackled Sissi and knocked her to the ground, then got up, leaving her on the ground.

"What was that for? I can't believe this stupid clone-" There was a crashing sound as lightning struck the clone. Odd, William, and Sissi all screamed and fell back as the heat and electricity rushed them.

"Ulrich!" Sissi watched the clone turn into a black mist and disappear. "Oh, no..."

"This is bad." Odd got up and helped William up. "We have to get Yumi and get in the sewers. Sissi, please get to the Factory..." She nodded and ran off, shock plastered on her face.

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and Aelita were sitting in the back of the taxi. "I'm sorry about your laptop, Jeremie."

"If I let it dry out it might work again. And if it doesn't, a return will fix it."

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd and William made it to Yumi's house at last. They didn't knock and just ran into the house.

"What is going on?!" Mr. Ishiyama peeked out of the kitchen as William and Odd ran up the stairs. "No shoes!"

William and Odd rushed into Yumi's room. "Yumi! Xana's attacking, why wouldn't you answer your phone?!" Odd could hear Mr. Ishiyama coming up the stairs. "And I'm guessing we're going to have to take the window."

"What do you two think you're doing?! I happen to be talking to Alex! Get out!" Yumi yelled at them, cupping her hand over the phone, as her father reached the top of the stairs.

"Exactly! What are you two doing?!" he barked.

"I, we, come on, Yumi, Xana!" Mr. Ishiyama grabbed William and Odd by their arms.

"Xana? What is going on here, Yumi!"

"I don't care about some stupid video game, you idiots! Now get out!" Yumi slammed her door shut as Mr. Ishiyama 'escorted' the boys out. "Those two just barged in here, shrieking about a Xana attack..." Yumi prattled to Alex.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd and William ran for the Factory. "We're going to need help." Odd sighed.

"I know, but she blew us off. She was talking to Alex, maybe he heard us." William said with a frown.

"As long as she's inside, Sissi's in the factory and we're in the sewers, we'll be safe. Hopefully the musclehead is smart enough to stay sheltered."

-( ( • ) ) -

Jeremie and Aelita were dropped off by the taxi and ran into the Factory, where they found Sissi shivering by the elevator.

-( ( • ) ) -

Odd and William made it to the Factory and hurried inside, where they took the elevator down to the Control Room. "This is bad." Jeremie's words sent chills into Odd.

"Something even worse than the clone being struck by lightning and disappearing while Yumi refuses to come to the Factory?" Odd asked, a fearful edge in his voice.

"Far worse. Xana damaged the Super Computer so we can't launch a return, and the Skid, MegaPod and vehicles are damaged."

"But, no return... how do we explain Ulrich?" Sissi asked.

"I could just make another clone but that program is damaged too. I don't even know if I can send you guys to Lyoko."

"What is Xana trying to do?" William looked at the screen.

"Keep us from the Super Computer in Australia." Jeremie wiped his brow. "I think I got the transfer programs set but no vehicles and no Super Scan. So we don't know where the activated Tower is."

"That's alright. We'll have to hunt it down the old fashion way." Odd put a hand on Aelita's shoulder. "Go get it."

Just then, the elevator doors opened to reveal Alex, who took a few steps forward. "Yumi told me there's an attack?"

"Xana fried the Super Computer." Sissi started.

"So we'll have to go to Lyoko and find the Tower without the Super Scan, or returns, or vehicles." Aelita finished.

"If it's safe. If Xana messed up the Transfer Programs, he's won. How do we deactivate the Tower if we can't get to Lyoko?" Jeremie minimized Aelita's ID Card. "I won't risk you."

"Then send me." William stepped past Alex onto the elevator. "If I disappear, then, um, do what you did before." He stepped on.

"Wait, William." Alex turned and followed right before the doors closed. "Dude, I get it, you want to help. But the team has lost you before. We really can't afford to lose you again."

"You're upgraded, so is Odd, Aelita is needed to deactivate the Towers, Sissi heals and Yumi's not here. I'm the only one that makes sense. Maybe it'll impress Yumi."

"But like you said, Yumi's not here to see you risk your neck." The doors opened and the two stepped off.

"It doesn't matter." William walked to the middle Scanner and stepped in. "I'm ready, Jeremie." William smiled at Alex, a few drops of sweat visible.

"I'd say to wait until I know it's fixed, but we don't have time. William, I'm sorry." Jeremie left it at that as he started. "Transfer William, Scanner William...virtualization." A red exclamation point flashed across William's avatar. "No, no, William! Alex! Get the Scanner open!" Jeremie tried to cancel the transfer but to no avail. "Alex, come on, hurry!"

"I'm trying!" Alex tried to pry the Scanner doors open, but they remained shut. "Ow, god!" Alex pulled back from the Scanner as the energy glowed bright and turned from brilliant gold to searing white-blue. "Something is really wrong!" Alex shouted as his skin began to turn red and sweat began to pour. He let out one more grunt before his fingers slipped and the Scanner doors slammed shut once more.

"Help!" William's screams and cries for help began to fill the Scanner Room.

"Damn it Jeremie, do something!" Alex fought against the pain and burns, and tried to open the Scanner doors again.

"More errors, more errors, we can't do anything from here!" Jeremie and Aelita both scrambled to help but there were too many errors to handle. Alex and William's screams resonated up to the Control Room as Alex finally pried the Scanner doors open and William fell forward onto him. Brilliant white energy filled the Scanner Room, burning both Lyoko Warriors.

"What's that energy?" Sissi could see the white glow come from the ladder and went over to look. "Ow!" She pulled back as the light burned her face, and Odd ran over to support her.

"Energy from the Super Computer is leaking out through the Scanners! This is bad, very bad!" Jeremie announced.

"Jeremie, do something..." Alex pleaded quietly as he crawled toward the elevator. He and William withered on the ground as the energy burned them both.

"Please!" William begged, far louder.

"Jeremie, we have to turn it off!" Aelita sprinted over to the elevator and waited for it to come up before getting on it and taking it down to the Super Computer Room.

"Aelita, be careful!" Jeremie pulled away from the control panel.

"I got this." Aelita took hold of the power switch and turned the Super Computer off. "Alex, William?" She sprinted back to the elevator and took it up to the Scanner Room. Even before the doors opened all the way, Aelita squirmed through them and let herself fall to her knees on the floor, where Alex laid unconscious, his hand outstretched on the floor as though he had been trying to reach the elevator button. "Alex, William, no." Aelita ran to William next. "Jeremie, call for an ambulance. Oh god, Alex, William!"

"We can't call for an ambulance! They'll find the Super Computer and Xana!" Jeremie shouted from the Control Room.

"We can't let them die..." Sissi murmured as Odd held her.

Aelita shook William, then crawled back to Alex and shook him too. "Alex, please, say something." She began to cry.

"Aelita, no! We cant do that! We need the Super Computer to fight Xana!" Jeremie started to panic. "We have to move them to a place so the authorities won't come here. If Ulrich's clone was struck by lightning we can say they were too." Jeremie said, trying to think of another idea.

"That's not a bad idea. But if we move them they might not make it!" Aelita exclaimed.

"They might not make it as it is. Where's Yumi?" Jeremie asked.

"What?" Aelita responded with another question.

"Where's Yumi?! Are you strong enough to move them? Or get them up to the bridge? We're done. We need to call for an ambulance, you're right." Jeremie pulled his phone out. "Odd, Sissi, go help Aelita move the guys."

Odd frowned. "I'm a guy too!"

"Odd, not the time." Sissi growled as she began to climb down the ladder.

"Jeremie, everyone, I'm sorry." Aelita hugged Alex, then William. "You'll be okay. We'll get you help." She wiped a tear away.

-( ( • ) ) -

With Sissi and Odd's help, Aelita managed to get the two into the elevator, where Odd carried Alex and Sissi with Aelita worked together to carry William over to the staircase in another part of the Factory, taking them to the upper level and finally to the bridge.

-( ( • ) ) -

As Alex and William were being loaded into ambulances, Odd, Sissi, Jeremie and Aelita were left to talk to the police.

"She said our friend Ulrich was struck by lightning earlier and were looking for a place to hide. I, we, well, snuck off to, um, be alone." Aelita explained, causing herself and Jeremie to blush.

"But we told them they could hide here for shelter." Jeremie amended.

"They were here but then it like, through the entrance and got them. It was so horrible." Sissi choked out through tears, for she, as well as Aelita, was still crying.

"We got a call a little while ago from a Sissi Delmas that an Ulrich Stern had been vaporized. I don't think anyone believed her." the police responded.

"I'm that Sissi. It's true." Sissi replied.

"I saw it too. Ulrich was one of our friends!" Odd added.

"Well, I've never heard of that happening. Of course, three people in the same group of friends being struck by lightning in the same storm is also unheard of."

"Will they be okay?" Aelita watched as the ambulances drove off.

"I heard one of the paramedics say the burns were severe, but only on the outside. It didn't look like any damage was done internally."

"Wow, um, that's good, I guess."

"They're lucky, that's what it is. But you four need to be getting back to your school. We'll take you there." The officer led them to a police car and opened the door for them.

-( ( • ) ) -

Back at Kadic Academy, Jeremie, Sissi, Odd and Aelita were sent to their dorm rooms. Jeremie immediately called Aelita. "Aelita, what do we do?"

"I don't know. Xana did it. He destroyed the Super Computer. He hurt Alex and William really badly, and we still don't know what happened to Yumi."

"We're done. Xana won, we lost. Earth, it's only a matter of time before he takes over the world."

"I'm sorry Jeremie. If you had never found the Super Computer, none of this would have happened. If you didn't try and save me, the Earth wouldn't be lost. I'm so sorry." Aelita began to cry again.

"I'm still glad I found the Super Computer and you. I'm not sorry about that. If I had only been smarter, faster, something. Now we have no way of stopping Xana. We can't deactivate Towers or destroy the other Super Computers."

"Other Super Computers!" Jeremie pulled the phone away from his ear as Aelita yelped.

"What?"

"You're brilliant, Jeremie! Where's the closest Super Computer?"

"I, um, I think somewhere in Berlin."

"Then that's our answer."

_**A/N: **Okay, so with the little subplot with Jake, I'm trying to give Alex some character development and make him more part of the group, and also show something that happens fairly often. It sucks when you fall for someone who's not ever going to like you back, gay or not, and it also sucks for that person because they don't want your friendship to be ruined. BUT with the Super Computer fried, what're the Lyoko Warriors going to do? What's stopping Xana from activating a Tower in a Replika to attack? Guess you all will have to check out Book 2 this Friday to find out!_


End file.
